Kathy recalls her involvement with the secret guard, a small group of students dedicated to protecting Miss Geraldine from a supposed kidnapping plot. Although the details of the plot are always vague, the guard believes that it will involve the woods behind Hailsham. Students generally fear the woods, passing down frightening stories about former students who died there. One rumor involves a boy found with his hands and feet cut off, while another is about a little girl who starved to death.

Reading Schedule

Chapters Five, Six & Seven
It is his second, following his bestselling debut, The Kite Runner. Mariam is an illegitimate child, and suffers from both the stigma surrounding her birth along with the abuse she faces throughout her marriage. Laila, born a generation later, is comparatively privileged during her youth until their lives intersect and she is also forced to accept a marriage proposal from Rasheed, Mariam's husband. Hosseini has remarked that he regards the novel as a "mother-daughter story" in contrast to The Kite Runner , which he considers a "father-son story". Earning widespread critical acclaim upon publication, A Thousand Splendid Suns was released on May 22, , [2] and received favorable prepublication reviews from Kirkus Reviews , [3] Publishers Weekly , [4] Library Journal , [5] and Booklist , [6] becoming a number one New York Times bestseller for fifteen weeks following its release. The first theatrical adaptation of the book premiered on February 1, , at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco , California. The title of the book comes from a line in the Josephine Davis translation of the poem "Kabul", [10] by the 17th-century Iranian poet Saib Tabrizi :. In an interview, Khaled Hosseini explains, "I was searching for English translations of poems about Kabul, for use in a scene where a character bemoans leaving his beloved city, when I found this particular verse.
Marriage and Fatherhood
Malcolm finds a job washing dishes on a Boston—Washington train line and then selling sandwiches as a porter on a Boston—New York train line. Malcolm makes a good impression on the customers and on his employers, and learns various hustling techniques, the etiquette of the Harlem underworld, and the history of the neighborhood. With his tips, Malcolm begins to invest a lot of money in the numbers racket, the popular unofficial lottery in Harlem. Malcolm also meets an assortment of pimps, including one known as Sammy the Pimp, who soon becomes his best friend and sole Harlem confidant. All of us. See Important Quotations Explained. With permanent employment, Malcolm moves to a rooming house run by prostitutes. Malcolm befriends the women and learns a great deal about the psychology of men from them. Sophia, who has married a white man, visits Malcolm regularly. At first, the business is a success, but soon the local narcotics squad comes after Malcolm, and he begins to lose time and money trying to avoid them.
Joe has taught college English courses for several years, has a Bachelor's degree in Russian Studies and a Master's degree in English literature. Log in or sign up to add this lesson to a Custom Course. Log in or Sign up. Ali is a kind and loving man. He does not hold a grudge against those who do him harm. He works as a house servant for his long-time friend, Baba. Yet, Ali does not have an easy life. Polio affected him in his youth and severely damaged one of his legs to the point where it is now crippled. He also suffers 'a congenital paralysis of his lower facial muscles', which gives him the appearance of always being unhappy. Despite these physical limitations, he never complains, and does the best he can with what he has been given.