Historical Setting Information: Kabul is the economic and cultural center and capital of Afghanistan. In 1979, Russian troops were stationed in Kabul. In the novel, Hosseini noted the Russian presence, such as the "large yellow rectangular building" that made the bread. From 1992 to 1996, a civil war broke out, killing more than 50,000 people. According to Nabi, “Kabul fell prey to men who looked like they had stepped out of their mothers with a Kalashnikov in their hands… The street where [Nabi and Mr. Wahdati] lived turned into a war zone . The bullets hit every house. Rockets whistled above us. The RPGs landed in the street and blew craters in the asphalt” (122). After the civil war, the Taliban took control of Kabul until 2001. Even today, the unstable situation in Kabul remains marked by fear. Plot Summary: Khaled Hosseini's novel begins with the story of two orphaned siblings, Abdullah and Pari, who have an unbreakable bond. Ten-year-old Abdullah has been caring for his beloved little sister since their mother died giving birth to Pari. The family is impoverished to the point that the baby of one of their mother-in-laws, Parwana, dies because of the winter. As another winter approaches and Parwana is pregnant again, Saboor, the father, and his children travel to Kabul on foot. In Kabul, their step-uncle works for a wealthy couple, Suleiman and Nila Wahdati, waiting to adopt Pari. Even though the children have no idea, Saboor sacrifices Pari but also gives her a chance to live a privileged life. In 1955, six years had passed in Kabul when Suleiman Wahdati suffered a stroke. Nila, upset, takes Pari and flees to Paris. For Nila, Pari was the only one who had the potential to be her “seed of hope” (221). However, Nila... middle of paper ... yearns for legitimate individuality... [Nila] challenged the monopoly that men like [her father] had held for ages. [Nila] led a small revolution on her own (212). However, she lost the battle. Even though she was able to escape to Paris, prejudice against women in Afghanistan has not been stopped. Time and Memory: In this novel, time can be both a blessing and a curse. Since Abdullah was ten years old, he was able to remember his separation from his beloved sister and spent his life suffering from her loss. Meanwhile, Pari was separated from Abdullah at a very young age and hence could not remember her past life with Abdullah. At the end of the book, Pari is able to search and find her brother but due to her age, her memory deteriorates and suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Forgetting can be a protection against pain, but also a struggle when you want to remember what you can't.