Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health 
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Summary: This tells of two women, Miriam and Laila. The story expands thirty years and through the eyes of Miriam and Laila, tell of life for women in what Afghanistan was like pre-9/11. Miriam is an illegitimate child who was married off at a young age. Laila recently lost the love of her life and becomes a second wife to the man who saved her, as well as a sister wife to Mariam. Miriam and Laila become good friends and they learn to survive from their friendship.
I cried four times while reading this book. There is parts that include domestic violence, strangulation, isolation, beatings, rape, a bullshit Justice system, and horrific abuse. But I couldn't stop reading. Khaled Hosseini has an amazing story telling gift. The characters are so dynamic they feel real so you feel real emotions. My heart broke a thousand times but I loved this book.
War Child
Summary: As the main character's Emannuel Jal's township in Bantiu devolved into a bullet-ridden war zone as a civil war tears his country apart. Jal, his family, and countless others traveled from one burned-out village to the next in search of food and shelter. Separated from his mother during a raid, Emmanuel Jal later heard she was dead. When soldiers from the SPLA came to take him to “school” in Ethiopia, he did not protest as he wanted to make his mom happy. What he encountered when he arrived was an area decimated by famine, riddled with death and disease, and devoid of hope. Jal was at an SPLA military training camp, where he was “educated” to become one of the 17,000 “Lost Boys of Sudan,” or child soldiers. He carried an AK-47 bigger than himself. Beaten, starved, and brutalized Emmanuel fought in battle in Ethiopia and Sudan. He saw most of his friends die and contemplated suicide himself. Amazingly, he survived. He has now gone from child soldier to refugee to a successful rapper.
My review: It's extremely graphic but I liked it. He doesn't hold back when describing anything traumatic and because of that, I took regular breaks. But I never quit reading it and always came back to it. And at the same time, it is a hopeful story. It ends on a positive note and Emmanuel did get help for the amount of trauma he went through.
Handmaid's Tale
Summary: In a futuristic, dystopian world called Gilead, a far right wing group has taken over. The government is now a monotheocracy and the Book of Genesis is taken quite literally. Thanks to this, women are heavily discriminated. The story is told through the eyes of Offred. Since Offred is fertile, she was kidnapped and made into a handmaid due to declining birth rates. As a handmaid, she is assigned to carry children for people of the elite class who have trouble conceiving. So basically she is raped on a daily basis.
Review: This book would be less terrifying if Missouri didn't make it legal to fire employees simply because they use birth control. Or the new bill from North Carolina that legalizes rape. Offred is a very ordinary woman dealing with very complex issues. Offred's tale is told with compassion and precision by Atwood. This book is a terrifying reminder for all of us. This book makes you think while also being a great story. This book is also a reminder why separation between church and the state was written in the Constitution by the Founding Fathers for a reason.
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