ATTS unit exam

Of what does Mariam live in fear?

her husband and she wonders if he is going to kill her

what does rasheed call laila?

his flower, his gul

who is alyona?

the captain's daughter in the movie they watched as kids, and tariq's goat

who is abida?

the cook in the bungalow next to tariq

who was a woman far past outrage who understood that she was lucky to be working and there was always something else they could take away?

the doctor operating on laila

why was rasheed fired fromt he kebab house?

the gun-skewer incident

what was the first risky part of aziza laila and mariam's journey?

finding a suitable man to pose as a family member

what did the taliban do to tariq's favorite singer, Ahmad Zahir?

fired bullets into his grave

what had mariam hand sewed for aziza?

first baby clothes, and then a doll

How does Laila feel about not finding anyone in the room, in her dreams?

"Every time, it is devastating."

Re-read the part describing Mariam and Rasheed's hurried wedding. Find and list one example of foreshadowing. What event do you think is being foreshadowed?

"Her own band was a little tight, but Rasheed has no trouble forcing her." - their sex life

After Nana's emotional outburst, Mariam wishes she could tell her mother certain things. What does she want to tell her, but does not?

"You're afraid Nana, you're afraid that I might find the happiness you never had. And you don't want me to be happy. You don't want a good life for me. You're the one with the wretched heart."

When Mullah Faizullah asks Nana to permit Mariam to attend school, she says to Mariam, "What's the sense schooling a girl like you? It's like shining a spittoon." What does Nana's simile mean?

"cleaning something over and over again, but it constantly getting dirty all over again."

what did maraim remember that mullah faizullah used to say?

"even the snakebitten an finds sleep, but not the hungry"

Find and list similies in this chapter

"front two pushed together like a gabled roof"

what is rasheed's reaction to mariam's accusation that he is trying to court the 14 year old girl even though he's like 60(doesnt know his own age)?

"why not?"

what change did mariam notice about rasheed in the presence of laila?

1. he acted nicer and like he actually had manners (he doesn't) but still doesnt change how he acts towards mariam

what are the new laws?

1. pray 5x a day or be beaten

what ritual did mariam and laila have now that they are friends after laila stood up for her?

3 cups of chai every night

During her moment of doubt, what reminds Laila that she is doing the right thing by leaving and going back to Kabul?

She remembered two lines of poetry from Babi's farewell ode to Kabul:

Why did Laila love Tariq's room so much?

It was where they did their homework, built playing-card towers and drew ridiculous portraits of each other; it's where they created their fondest memories together and they always had the best time

what does mariam dream of her last night?

11 pebbles, young jalil, Mullah Faizullah, Nana

how old was rasheed's mom when she had him?

14

when had the drought started?

1998

how many karats was the ring rasheed gave Laila?

22

How long has it been since the last chapter?

4 years

How old is Mariam at the beginning of chapter 1?

5 years old

How many babies has Mariam miscarried?

7 in all (includes the first child)

how long was tariq in prison?

7 years

While Babi was taking her to school, what unusual thing had Laila noticed in her neighborhood?

A Benz, which was an unusual car in her neighborhood, blue with a thick white stripe bisecting the hood, the roof, and the trunk. Inside were two men, one behind the wheel and the other in the back

What were the men fighting about back at Laila's house?

A Pashtun called Ahmad Shah Massed a traitor for making a deal with the Soviets while the Tajik took offense and demanded a retraction, but the Pashtun had refused and a brawl with knifes had started

What was Tariq wearing when he arrived to watch the last Soviet convoy exit Afghanistan?

A Russian fur hat with earflaps

What book was Babi reading at the top of the Buddha's head?

A book about an old fisherman named Santiago who catches an enormous fish but by the time he sails to the shore, there is nothing there because the sharks tore it to pieces

What do Laila and Tariq see on the TV on BBC news?

A building, a tower, with black smoke billowing from its top floors collapses and soon after another plane crashes into the adjacent tower, exploding into a fireball.

What was on the wall behind Laila's teacher's desk?

A map of the Soviet Union and Afghanistan, a framed photo of the latest communist president (Najibullah) and other photos of young Soviet soldiers shaking hands with peasants and smiling while building homes

When did Laila tell Aziza about Tariq?

A few days after the nikka (wedding)

What kind of business would Babi open in America?

A little Afghan restaurant, that not only serves food but also holds ceremonies and parties that would turn into a gathering place for other Afghans who fled the war

What happened that day after dinner?

A man approached their door bringing terrible news that Ahmad and Noor had died

Nana tells Mariam, "Like a compass a needle that points north, a man's accusing finger always finds a women. Always. You remember that Mariam." What does this mean?

A man will always blame a women for his mistakes

With whom did part 2 begin with?

A nine-year-old Laila

what astonishing thing doeslaila do for mariam?

rasheed goes in to beat M because he thinks she's been teaching L to defy him, but L jumps on top of him until he backs down

What was the only thing Laila remembered about her two brothers?

A shiny Allah pendant around Ahmad's neck and a patch of black hairs on one of Noor's ears

Describe Babi.

A small man with narrow shoulders and slim, delicate hands, almost like a woman's; he was very educated and could answer any question he was asked and loved to read; however he wasn't strong enough to open a lid of a jar or skilled enough to fix things around the house, like screw the kitchen cabinets

How was Giti killed?

A stray rocket struck Giti and her two classmates on their way home from school

what had happened since the mujahideen takeover in 1992?

Afghanistan was now the Islamic State of Afghanistan, and women enjoyed basically no freedoms or opportunities

What did Laila learn about waiting while Tariq was away?

All the hardships a person had to face was nothing compared to the punishing of the simple act of waiting

What is inside the old chocolate box Jalil saved for Mariam?

An envelope, a burlap sack and a videocassette

What does Hamza give to Laila as a present Jalil was saving for Mariam?

An old chocolate box with a locked latch.

What shape was Tarqi's birthmark beneath his collarbone?

An upside-down mandolin

How does Tariq's father refer to Laila?

As his arose, daughter-in-law

When does Laila say her final good-bye to Mariam?

As she leaves the kolba

As Laila sees the Land Cruiser speed down the streets, those that killed her parents and have killed thousands of other innocent people, what is going through her head?

At first she is angered, because these are people who have done monstrous things yet are living in posh homes and walled gardens and have been appointed ministers. But then she remembers what Mariam would have said, "What good is it, Laila jo?" and decides to not be crippled by resentment. She she resigns herself to moving on.

who had taken it upon herself to wake, feed, clothe, comb, and be peacemaker for zalmai?

Aziza

what name had laila given her daughter?

Aziza, cherished one

What had changed about Tariq's physical appearance when he returned from Ghazni?

He shaved his head and whitened his teeth

"Laila, my love, the only enemy an Afghan cannot defeat is himself."

Babi

What did Babi and Laila do together after dinner every night?

Babi helped Laila with her homework and taught her some lessons to keep her a step or two ahead of her class

"Too little and far too late. You can't be the chief of KHAD one day and the next day pray in a mosque with people whose relatives you tortured and killed."

Babi talking about Najibullah

"There's nothing left for us here...Our sons are gone, but we still have Laila. We still have each other. We can make a new life."

Babi talking to Fariba

"As much as I love this land, some days I think about leaving it...Anyplace where it's easy to forget...And then, well, it is a big world. Maybe America. Somewhere near the sea. Like California."

Babi talking to Laila

"But I'm glad I have you. Every day, I thank God for you. Every single day. Sometimes, when your mother's having one of her really dark days, I feel like you're all I have."

Babi talking to Laila

"To me, its nonsense-and very dangerous nonsense at that-all this talk of I'm Tajik and you're Pashtun and he's Hazara and she's Uzbek. We're all Afghans, and that's all that should matter."

Babi talking to Laila

"With your mother, both her joy and sadness are extreme. Me, I suppose I'm different. I tend to...But it broke me too, the boys dying. I miss them too. Not a day passes that I...It's very hard."

Babi talking to Laila

"Women have always had it hard in this country, but they're probably more free now, under the communists, and have more rights than they've ever had before."

Babi talking to Laila

"You can be anything you want...I know this about you. And I also know that when this war is over, Afghanistan is going to need you."

Babi talking to Laila

"It's what I always remember about being up here...The silence. The peace of it. I wanted you to experience it. But I also wanted you to see your country's heritage, children, to learn of its rich past. You see, some things I can teach you. Some you learn from books. But there are things that, well, you just have to see and feel."

Babi talking to Tariq and Laila

Why do Laila and the family play a naming game as their nightly ritual?

Because Laila is pregnant again and she needs to find a baby name for a boy. The game only involves male names because if it's a girl, they already have a name for her: Mariam.

How does Laila describe the city of Mashad?

It's a crowded and bustling city with parks, mosques, and kebab restaurants. It also has a shrine with glistening tiles, minarets, and a magnificent golden dome.

What does Laila keep reminding herself about life in Murree?

It's a good life, a life to be thankful for. It's a life she used to dream for herself in her darkest days with Rasheed

Where did Tariq and Laila go after they watched the Soviet's leave Afghanistan?

Cinema Park to watch a Soviet film

"That he is not. You will not liken that one-legged carpenter's boy to your brothers. There is no one like your brothers."

Fariba talking to Laila about Tariq

How and why has Giti changed over the course of three years?

Giti was no longer shy or as serious as she used to be; she laughed a lot more and had changed her physical appearance; this happened because she met an eighteen-year-old boy who was a goalkeeper on Giti's older brother's soccer team

what happened in january 1994?

Dostum switched sides and joined Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and these two together fired on Massoud and Rabbani forces

Since the streets had become so unsafe, what unthinkable thing did Babi have Laila do?

Drop out of school, but he homeschooled her himself

Who is the young girl in the photo taped to the driver's windshield?

It's his sister when she was 12-years-old, who was killed by rockets during the uprising in March 1979.

What was the only thing keeping Laila excited about leaving Afghanistan?

Everyday she was closer to seeing Tariq

How has Kabul changed since they've been back?

Everyday they spot people planting saplings, painting old houses, and carrying bricks for new ones, digging gutters and wells, flowers are being planted in old Mujahideen rockets, and there is music, for the first time in years, at Kabul's street corners.

"But if you have a book that needs urgent reading then Hakim is your man."

Fariba

"He's a good man...He wants peace. He wants to rebuild Afghanistan. But they won't let him. They just won't let him."

Fariba talking about Ahmad Shah Massoud

"Keep him away from me."

Fariba talking about Hakim

"What a first-rate teacher he was...His students loved him. And not only because he wouldn't beat them with rulers, like other teachers did. They respected him, you see, because he respected them. He was marvelous."

Fariba talking about Hakim

"Even your own sons going to war. How I pleaded with you. But you buried your nose in those cursed books and let our sons go like they were a pari of haramis."

Fariba talking to Hakim

"They'll work it out...This fighting is temporary. They'll sit down and figure something out."

Fariba talking to Hakim

"Who are you to say? Did you fight jihad? Did you abandon everything you had and risk your life...And now you'd have us betray them!"

Fariba talking to Hakim

"You go, then. Take your daughter and run away. Send me a postcard. But peace is coming, and I, for one, am going to wait for it."

Fariba talking to Hakim

"Ahmad was going to be a leader. He had the charisma for it. People three times his age listened to him with respect."

Fariba talking to Laila

"He's a boy, you see, and, as such, what does he care about reputation? But you? The reputation of a girl, especially one as pretty as you, is a delicate thing, Laila. Like a mynah bird in your hands. Slacken your grip and away it flies."

Fariba talking to Laila

"I want to see the day the Soviets go home disgraced, the day the Mujahideen come to Kabul in victory. I want to be there when it happens, when Afghanistan is free, so the boys see it too. They'll see it through my eyes."

Fariba talking to Laila

"I was dreaming just now...before you came in. But I can't remember it now. Does that happen to you?"

Fariba talking to Laila

"I won't forget tomorrow...I promise."

Fariba talking to Laila

"Oh, my Noor. He was always making sketches of buildings and bridges. He was going to be an architect, you know. He was going transform Kabul with his designs."

Fariba talking to Laila

"She [her great-grandmother] was a pari, a stunner...Her beauty was the talk of the valley. It skipped two generations of women in our family, but it sure didn't bypass you."

Fariba talking to Laila

"Some days I listen to that clock ticking in the hallway. Then I think of all the ticks, all the minutes, all the hours and days and weeks and months and years waiting for me. All of it without them. And I can't breathe then, like someone's stepping on my heart. I get so weak. So weak I just want to collapse somewhere."

Fariba talking to Laila

What did Tariq buy for the kids at the market?

For Aziza, he bought silver earrings with a butterfly on each and for Zalmai he bought an inflatable dolphin that squeaks when its snout is squeezed.

What happened to Mammy the day after Najibullah surrendered?

For the first time in five years, Mammy didn't wear black and she did chores around the house, as well as host a big lunch the following day with the neighbors

What is nailed above the classroom doorway?

Four lines of poetry, with Zaman's answer to why those who promised to aid money to Afghanistan isn't coming, that the rebuilding is going to slowly, that there is corruption, that the Taliban are regrouping already and will come back with vengeance, and that the world will forget about Afghanistan once again.

Who was America's president during the 9/11 attack and what did he do to fight back?

George W. Bush and he declared war on Afghanistan

Who was the first person whom Laila had known, been close to, and loved, that died?

Giti

"He's going to ask for my hand! Maybe as early as this summer. Can you believe it? I swear I can't stop thinking about him."

Giti talking to Laila about her love interest

what happened to laila and mariam after being questioned by the police?

they were sent back to rasheed who beat them severely and locked them up in rooms without food or water

"Fariba, all these people know is war...They learned how to walk with a milk bottle in one hand and a gun in the other."

Hakim

"Because a society has no chance of success if its women are uneducated. No chance."

Hakim talking to Laila

"Marriage can wait, education cannot. You're a very, very bright girl...You can be anything you want. I know this about you."

Hakim talking to Laila

"You're on a deserted island. You can have five books. Which do you choose? I never thought I'd actually have to."

Hakim talking to Laila

"He visited every week, never missed...He was her tutor, yes, but he was a friend too. He was a charitable man...It nearly broke him when Jalil Khan gave her away."

Hamza talking about Mullah Faizullah

"My father never unlocked it. Neither did I. I suppose it was God's will that it be you."

Hamza talking to Laila

"Beans. No less than four cans. On the evening the toothless lizard comes to ask for your hand. But the timing, ladies, the timing is everything. You have to suppress the fireworks 'til it's time to serve him his tea."

Hasina

"That's because you have a beard, my dear."

Hasina talking to Giti

"By the time we're twenty, Giti and I, we'll have pushed out four, five kids each. But you, Laila, you'll make us two dummies proud. You're going to be somebody. I know one day I'll pick up a newspaper and find your picture on the front page."

Hasina talking to Laila

What does Tariq tell Laila is the reason that he started smoking?

He does it for the girls - they find it sexy

How does Ahmad Shah Massoud die?

He gave an interview to a pair of journalists who claimed they were Belgians originally from Morocco and as they were talking, a bomb was hidden in the video camera that went off, that killed Massoud and one of the journalists; people suspect that the journalists were Al-Qaeda men.

How does Hamza react when he hears Mariam's name?

He gets overwhelmingly excited and grows a huge smile on his face.

What was abnormal about Tariq's physical appearance?

He had an artificial leg from a land mining accident when he was five

Meanwhile, what was happening with Tariq's father?

He had suffered a series of strokes that left him with a clumsy left hand and a slight slur to his speech

On the day that they left Murree, why is Zalmai heartbroken?

He had to leave behind Alyona.

What does Sayeed do on the day they left Murree, to wish them good luck?

He holds the Koran by the doorway for Tariq, Laila, and the children to kiss three times, then holds it high so they can pass under it.

How does Zalmai feel about Tariq?

He is not fond of him; Tariq has bought him a rocking horse, built him a wagon and even makes paper animals for him, but Zalmai doesn't care for them and just yells at Tariq.

What changed Fariba's thoughts about Hakim?

He let their two sons, Ahmad and Noor go to war against the Soviets

How does Tariq manage to pry Zalmai off the goat?

He promises him that he will buy him a goat just like Alyona in Kabul

How does Tariq respond when Zalmai yells and says insulting things to him?

He stays silent and let's Zalmai

After Laila told Tariq about the incident with Khadim and the water gun, what did Tariq do?

He stood up for her; he walked up to Khadim and fought with him, physically; Khadim never bothered Laila again

Where does Tariq take the family on his days off?

He takes them to the mall, where he buys them spicy kebabs and where they stroll by the Anglican church, or sometimes they'll ride a bus to Kashmir Point where he will show them the Jhelum River, the pine slopes. Another option is Nathia Gali, where they hold hands as they walk the roads to the Governor's House, stop by the old British cemetery or take a taxi up the mountain peak for a view of the valley.

Mariam feels guilty about her mother's death. Why and how does Mullah Faizullah try to comfort her?

He tells her that she was very sick and that is not her fault

Where does Tariq work in Kabul?

He works with a French NGO that fits land mine survivors and amputees with prosthetic limbs

Who did Hasina end up marrying?

Her cousin who owned the auto shop in Germany

What was holding Laila back from marrying Tariq?

Her father; she's all that he has left

What did Babi love most about Fariba?

Her lively and happy attitude and her laugh that never failed to make him smile

How do Laila's parents argue?

Her mammy paces and rants on ferociously while her Babi sits, looking sheepish and dazed, and waits for her to stop yelling while nodding obediently

Who does Laila recall as being Massoud's biggest supporter?

Her mom; she hung a poster in her bedroom of Massoud, she was grateful that he gave a graveside prayer at her sons' burial, even after the war broke out between his faction and the others, she refused to blame him, and even after everything went terribly wrong and Kabul lay in ruins, he was still the Lion of Panjshir in her eyes.

What had Babi made clear to Laila was the most important thing in his life, after her safety?

Her schooling

Before going back to Kabul, where did Laila want to stop at first?

Herat

Who helped rebuild the city of Herat?

Herat's feudal-style warlord, Ismail Khan, with the considerable customs revenue that he collects at the Afghan-Iranian border, money that Kabul says belongs not to him but to the central government.

Why wasn't Tariq meeting Laila this morning?

His parents were taking him south, to the city of Ghazni, to visit his paternal uncle for 13 days

How does Laila describe Herat?

It's made up of streets that are paved and lined with fragrant pines, parks and libraries in mid-construction, courtyards, freshly painted buildings, traffic lights and electricity.

What happened in April of 1992?

Najibullah surrendered at last and was given sanctuary in the UN compound south of the city and the jihad was over (the communist regimes were all defeated); this was the day Mammy had waited for and at last, her sons could rest in peace

When Jalil tosses Mariam in the air. Nana says that one day he will drop her. What does this imply about Nana's feelings for Jalil?

Nana doesn't trust him and she knows that Jalil is going to breaks Mariam's heart

The driver returns to her house, but at the last second, he yells, "Go back! No. Don't look now." To what is he referring?

Nana hanging from the tree

Contrast Nana's and Jalil's version of Mariam's birth

Nana's: alone on a cold floor, she was in labor for 2 days

where had tariq and his famiy stayed?

Nasir Bagh refugee camp near peshawar

Once Laila was fourteen, how did her feelings for Tariq change?

She no longer thought of him as just a friend; she wanted to be more than that; "she had fallen for Tariq"

Why was it hard for Laila to feel Mammy's loss?

It was hard for her to grieve the deaths of people she never really thought of as alive in the first place; her brothers had always been like characters in a fable

What was Laila's nickname given to her by her teacher?

Inqilabi Girl, Revolutionary Girl, because she had been born the night of April coup of 1978, when a revolution occurred of the working people against inequality

What is Gul Daman?

It is a village of a few walled houses rising among flat kolas built with mud and straw

What does Laila find in common about every Afghan story?

It is marked by death and loss and unimaginable grief

Describe Jalil's family and business life.

Jalil has 3 wives and 9 children legitimate children, and he is rich

what was Kharabat?

Kabul's ancient music ghetto that was silenced by the beatings of the taliban

With whom and with what was Laila greeted with when she got back home from school?

Khadim, an eleven-year-old, with a water gun spraying her with pee

What name did the students call Laila's teacher behind her back?

Khala Rangmaal, Auntie Painter, referring to the motion she favored when she slapped students - palm, then back of the hand, back and forth, like a painter working a brush; Laila's friend Hasina came up with this name

"He's like a brother to me."

Laila talking to Fariba

"I am happy...But, where do we go from here? How long do we stay? This isn't home. Kabul is, and back there so much is happening, a lot of it good. I want to be a part of it all. I want to do something. I want to contribute."

Laila talking to Tariq

"I am not going to cry! Not over you. Not in a thousand years."

Laila talking to Tariq

"I don't like it...Guns scare me."

Laila talking to Tariq

"It's the whistling...the damn whistling, I hate more than anything."

Laila talking to Tariq

"Not so bad? People dying? Women, children, old people? Homes destroyed again? Not so bad?"

Laila talking to Tariq

"Tell your secret to the wind, but don't blame it for telling the trees."

Laila talking to Tariq

"You left when the Mujahideen began fighting, remember? I'm the one who stayed behind. Me. I know war. I lost my parents to war."

Laila talking to Tariq

"it's better to be deprived of food for 3 days than tea for one"

Laila to mariam about a chinese saying

How did part 2 end?

Laila's house was hit by a rocket and prevented her and her family from leaving Afghanistan

"And you must lend your own hand, children. You must report anyone who might know about there rebels. It's your duty. You must listen, then report. Even if it's your parents, your uncles or aunts. Because none of them loves you as much as your country does. Your country comes first, remember!"

Laila's teacher

How do Mariam and Rasheed observe Ramadan differently?

Mariam enjoys it

What was in the burlap sack?

Mariam's inheritance from Jalil

Since the wars in Afghanistan had ravaged the roads connecting Kabul, Herat and Kandahar, which country did they have to pass through to get to Herat?

Mashad, Iran

Why was Laila not as forgiving of Massoud's actions, unlike her mother?

Massoud's violent end brought her no joy; she remembers too well the neighborhoods razed under his watch: the bodies of people dragged from rubble, hands and feet of children on rooftops; she also remembers too well her mother's face moments before the rocket slammed in and Babi's headless torso landing nearby.

what was zalmai's favorite song?

Mullah Mohammad Jan

where is tariq living?

Murree in the foothills Pir Panjal Pakistan

Who do the Afghans claim is the puppet who will keep the war going?

Najibullah

Who was rumored to have slept in the same hotel in Muwaffaq as Laila and Tariq?

Osama Bin Laden

Where was Tariq moving to since Afghanistan was no longer safe?

Pakistan first, then Peshawar, then maybe Hindustan or Iran

What were the only things decorations in Mammy's room?

Photographs of Ahmad and Noor

Who drives them to the bus station, and stands on the curb waving good-bye as the bus pulls away?

Sayeed

Who put together Tariq and Laila's wedding-getting a mullah for the ceremony and buying wedding bands?

Sayeed

What was Laila's first contribution to her Kabul community?

She planted a row of apple saplings at the orphanage's playground, she got a new swings, new monkey bars and a jungle gym. They have also repainted both the exterior and interior of the orphanage, repaired all the roof leaks, patched the walls, replaced the windows, and carpeted the rooms where the children sleep and play.

Why is cooking "an excuse in heightened anxiety" for Mariam?

Rasheed always finds something wrong with her food

"I married a pari and now I'm saddled with a hag. You're turning into Mariam"

Rasheed to Laila

"God help me, I think I love you"

Rasheed to Laila on their first night together

"not that they give a damn in america...wat do they care if pashtuns and Hazaras and Tajiks and Uzbeks are killing each other? How many americans can even tell one from another? DOnt't expect help from them, I say. Now athat the soviets have collapsed, we're no use to them. We served our purpose. To them, Afghanistan is a kenarab, a shit hole"

Rasheed trying to court Laila

What has Tariq developed in part 4?

Really bad headaches-sometimes it's so bad that he is at the edge of the bed, rocking, with his shirt pulled over his head; he describes it as a butcher's knife burrowing in his temple, twisting slowly in his brain and poking at the other side.

what was the only thing she had left of her old life?

tariq's baby

what were the strict Islamic laws that ordered women to cover, forbade them to travel without a male relative, and punished adultery with stoning?

Shari'a

How does Laila feel about living in Murree?

She enjoys it-she likes the cool, foggy mornings, the green pines and squirrels, the fact that they have a bathroom instead of an outhouse, waking up to the sound of Alyona bleating in the morning and their chef, Adiba, cooking in the kitchen.

After the death of her mother, how do Mariam's feelings for Jalil change?

She feels like Nana was right all along about Jalil and that he's a lier, and not "real"

Mariam watches the "comings and goings of Jalil's daily life" from her bedroom window. How does she feel now that she knows what his life is like?

She feels like she put him on to high of a pedestal

What does Laila wonder to herself as they are pulling away from Sayeed at the station?

She has a moment of doubt and wonders if leaving behind the safety of Murree is the right thing to do.

What has Aziza developed since moving to Murree?

She has nightmares that leave her shrieking

What kind of dreams does Laila have?

She imagines herself walking the hall at her house in Kabul, and as she's climbing up the stairs, alone, she hears the rhythmic hiss of an iron, bedsheets snapped, then folded, and a woman's low-pitched humming of an old Herati song behind a closed door. But when she walks in, the room is empty and it leaves Laila shaken.

Why does Mariam deny knowing Fariba when Rasheed asks her?

She knows that Rasheed doesn't like her and she's afraid to tell him that she talks to other people

How had Laila's life changed since the attacks started in Kabul?

She lay in bed watching sudden white flashes and listened to the sound of gunfire and rockets; her dreams were suffused with fire and detached limbs and the moaning of the wounded

How did Laila feel about eating dinner at Tariq's house?

She loved eating there as much as she disliked eating them at hers; everyone ate together as a family; she liked how they used a quarter lemon in their water pitcher and how they started each meal with a bowl of fresh yogurt and how they squeezed sour oranges on everything; also she liked how they made small, harmless jokes at each other's expenses

Even though her life in Murree is everything she has ever wanted, and more, why does it still feel insufficient to her?

She misses the city of her childhood, Kabul. She has been plagued by restlessness-she hears of schools being built in Kabul, roads repaved and women returning to work. When she is relaxing and doing nothing in Murree, it feels like she is wasting her life.

When Laila was looking at the newspaper article about the renovation of the orphanage, what does she remember one of her friends saying?

She remembers Hasina saying, "By the time we're twenty, Giti and I, we'll have pushed out four, five kids each. But you, Laila, you'll make us two dummies proud. You're going to be somebody. I know one day I'll pick up a newspaper and find your picture on the front page."

Why didn't Laila's teacher cover herself and why did she forbid the female students from doing so, as well?

She said women and men were equal in every way and there was no reason women should cover if men didn't

How did Laila know one night that Tariq was back?

She saw his flashing yellow light from down the street

As Laila sits in Mariam's old kolba and closes her eyes, how does she envision Mariam?

She sees a young Mariam making a doll and humming, and Laila starts to think that in a few years, this little girl will be a woman who will make small demands on life, will never burden others, will never let on what she too has had sorrows, disappointments, and dreams that have been ridiculed. She will be a woman who endures without complaint, her grace not sullied but shaped by the turbulence that washes over her.

Why is Laila no longer distressed that she doesn't know where Mariam was buried by the Taliban?

She sees that it doesn't matter because Mariam is never very far. She is within the walls they've repainted, the trees they've planted, the blankets that children warm, the pillows and books and pencils, the verses Aziza recites and in the prayers she mutters. But, most importantly, she is in Laila's heart.

Why was Aziza agitated when discovering that they were moving back to Kabul?

She still has nightmares and gets startled to death when she hears shots going around in the air. Laila wanted to explain that the Taliban won't be in Kabul when they return and that there will be no more fighting. And especially that she will not have to be sent away to an orphanage ever again, they'll all live together.

What lie does Laila tell Zalmai when he asks about his father, Rasheed?

She tells him that he has gone away on a trip and doesn't know when he will return

How does Mariam respond when Jalil tells her that he will visit her in Kabul? How does Jalil then react to her request?

She tells him that she doesn't want to see him again

When they pass by a store window, what does Laila always think about as she catches their reflections in it: man, wife, daughter, son?

She thinks about how, to strangers, they appear as an ordinary family, free of secrets, lies and regrets.

What does Laila think about Tariq smoking?

She thinks it makes him look like a khila, a half-wit

What did Laila think about Tariq's clean look?

She thought he looked like he was enlisting in the army, but also thought that his haircut wasn't bad, since he had a perfectly curved and lump-free shaped head

How had Laila's life changed after the deaths of her brothers?

She took on the responsibilities of a housewife: she cleaned, did laundry, made meals, ironed clothes and much more

Why does Laila get angry at Tariq when he expresses that he feels that a war in Afghanistan won't be so bad in the end?

She views the situation as bombs falling everywhere and killing hundreds of innocent people, just like what had happened to her family. She can't stand the thought of having another child's parents die from a rocket and having to become an orphan, just like her.

What stopped Fariba from killing herself after she heard the news that both her sons were dead?

She wanted to be alive for her sons when Afghanistan would be liberated, since they died because they wanted to see this dream of their's come true

Where did Laila ask for Hamza to take her?

She wanted to see where Mariam lived.

Why was Laila's mom not able to pick her up from school?

She was dreaming

What is Laila worried her mother will do to herself, since she has been feeling very depressed?

She was worried that her mother might kill herself to get rid of all the pain and despair she has been feeling

Who did Laila end up meeting in Herat?

She went to Mullah Faizullah's house to talk about Mariam, where she conversed with his son, Hamza.

How does Laila feel about her mother?

She wondered why Mammy had even bothered having her if she had given all her love away to her older sons

What was Laila's new job in Kabul?

She worked as a teacher at the orphanage

What was the only thing holding Babi back from pursuing his daydream in America?

She would never leave Afghanistan and Babi would never leave her, no matter how she treated him

What was a bad habit that Tariq acquired from the new group of guys he hangs out with?

Smoking

On the day that Tariq was leaving Afghanistan, what did he confess to Laila?

That he wants to marry her and that he loves her

What was the only thing that Aziza was worried about Tariq?

That he would leave

What ethnic group was Laila a part of?

Tajik

"For you...I'd kill with [the gun] for you, Laila"

Tariq

"I can taste the metal, even, when they begin."

Tariq

Who thinks that a war in Afghanistan won't be such a bad thing?

Tariq

Who told Laila the news that Ahmad Shah Massoud was killed?

Tariq

Who was Laila's good friend that spent time with her most mornings?

Tariq

Who was Laila's lifeline to the streets during the attacks in Afghanistan?

Tariq

"Did you know that if you fling snot in Siberia, it's a green icicle before it hits the ground?"

Tariq talking to Laila

"I'm never getting married."

Tariq talking to Laila

"If I ever do get married they'll have to make room for three on the wedding stage. Me, the bride, and the guy holding the gun to my head."

Tariq talking to Laila

"Let's go home."

Tariq talking to Laila

"Me...I'll follow you to the end of the world."

Tariq talking to Laila

"What I meant was that maybe there will be hope at the other end of this war, that maybe for the first time in a long time..."

Tariq talking to Laila

"Lovely guns! Fabulous jeeps! Fabulous army! Too bad you're losing to a bunch of peasants firing slingshots!"

Tariq talking to the Soviets

"How hard it must be, how terribly hard, for a mother to be away from her sons."

Tariq's mother talking to Laila about Fariba

After Laila told Tariq that she missed him, what had she learned from his reaction?

That boys didn't make a show of friendship and they treated friendship the way they treated the sun: its existence undisputed and its radiance best enjoyed, not beheld directly

What does Tariq admit to Laila while they are talking in the alley?

That no other girl matters because he only has eyes for Laila

What happened in April 1988?

The Afghans and the Soviets signed a treaty, forcing the Soviets to leave Afghanistan

Which nations did Laila's teacher express were "the best nations in the world"?

The Soviet Union, along with Afghanistan, because it was kind to its workers and its people were all equal, and everyone was happy and friendly

Between which two people was there tension?

The Tajiks (a minority group) and the Pashtuns (the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan)

"And that, my young friends, is the story of our country, one invader after another...But we're like those walls up there. Battered, and nothing pretty to look at, but still standing. Isn't that the truth?"

The driver

What does Aziza still carry around with her everywhere she goes?

The miniature doll Mariam made for her

Besides the whistling, what did Laila hate more than anything else about the attacks?

The seconds between the start of it and impact, the brief, interminable time of feeling suspended; the not knowing and the waiting

Why does Laila want to return to Kabul?

There is a part of her that wants to return to Kabul for her Mammy and Babi, for them to see her brothers' dreams come true through her eyes. Also, for Mariam; she keeps asking herself if Mariam sacrificed herself so Laila could be a maid.

How did Aziza react to finding out that Tariq is her dad?

They act like they've known each other their whole lives; they finish each other's sentences, shoot private smiles at each other and act as if they are reunited companions rather than strangers.

The night that Laila and Tariq married, what was the first difference in their relationship from when they were children?

They clutched each others' hands and didn't say a word; they used to fill the air with words and stories, always interrupting each other, and laughed and tugged at each other to emphasize a point; but the enormity of that night and the blessing to know that he was laying next her and he would forever, stole the words from her.

How did Laila and her family raise money to hold them in Peshawar until Babi finds work?

They decided to sell their things that weren't necessary to take with them

What does the whole family (Tariq, Laila, Aziza and Zalmai) do in the mornings?

They follow Tariq, from room to room, and clean the hotel rooms; Laila cleans makes the bed and cleans the rooms, Tariq scrubs the sinks and toilets, and Aziza wipes the windows.

When did Laila and Tariq marry and where do they live?

They married the day they arrived in Murree and they're living in Sayeed's hotel

What was Laila and Tariq's bedtime ritual?

They played a nightly signaling game

How do the orphans react to seeing Laila?

They run at her at full tilt and she is swarmed by a flurry of high-pitched greetings, tugging, and jostling one another to climb into her arms. Some even call her Mother.

What did they do for Aziza's tenth birthday?

They went to Cinema Park to watch Titanic

How does Aziza keep Mariam close to her always?

Through prayers

During the thirteen days Tariq was gone, what had Laila learned about time?

Time stretched and contracted depending on Tariq's absence or presence

Why did Jalil write Mariam a letter?

To explain his feelings, of regret and remorse, and ask for her forgiveness

What are the two things that Laila has learned to do in order to live her life peacefully and happily?

To move on and hope for a better change

Where did Babi take Tariq and Laila one afternoon?

To see and climb up the two Buddhas in the Bamiyan Valley

Where was Tariq and Laila's first kiss?

Under the pear tree in her backyard

what happened later the titanic summer?

a fabric merchant didnt put out his cigarette and lit is store on fire, and then alot of other stores including rasheed's (if the winds had blown east instead of west his shop might have been saved)

What was playing on the videocassette that Jalil left for Mariam?

Walt Disney's Pinocchio

What was Laila's favorite part about Mammy's good days?

When Babi came home from work and they looked up from their games and grinned at him

In which moment, did Laila claim, that she loved Tariq more than ever before?

When he allowed to move the family back to Kabul because Laila wanted to go back home; there was no arguing and no second thoughts.

When did Laila have an easy time remembering the details of Mariam's face?

When she sat inside her kolba

"You're a donkey...I don't want your toys!"

Zalmai talking to Tariq

"You're not my Baba jan! My real Baba jan is away on a trip, and when he gets back he's going to beat you up! And you won't be able to run away, because he has two legs and you only have one!"

Zalmai talking to Tariq

whaat do they have to do to laila?

a c-section without medication while laila is awake because the baby is in breech position (legs first)

what did rasheed come home with a few weeks after zalmai turned 2?

a magnavox TV for zalmai

who was the slender, bearded young man in a black turban speaking into the loudspeaker the first time laila saw the taliban?

a man speaking in between the dead bodies of najibullah and his brother

what did laila find outside her door one morning?

a pile of clothes --a twirl dress with pink fish, a blue foral wool dress with matching socks and mittens, and yellow pajamas with orange polka dots, and green pants

what had the kabul river turned into now?

a public toilet

what happened to laila and her family?

a rocket struck their home and killed her father and mother

why does rasheed say she shoudnt get so attached to the baby?

a statistic on voice of america said that 1 out of 4 kids in afghanistan will dies before the age of 5

What shocking news do Jalil's wives tell Mariam at the beginning of Chapter 7? What is Mariam's reaction?

a suitor wants to marry her

who did laila find totake them to peshawar?

a young man (wakil) with his son and wife, she told him she was a widow traveling with her mother and child to stay with her uncle in peshawar

who was a "thin, small-headed man with a bulbous nose pocked with the same cratered scars that pitted his cheeks [whose] hair, short and brown, stood on his scalp like needles on a pincushion"?

abdul sharif

who comes to the house asking for laila?

abdul sharif, says that tariq was in a hospital with him and lost both of his legs and then died

What does Nana wish her father had done?

aborted the child

Describe the anxiety Mariam feels as Jalil's visit approaches.

afraid he won't come

What does Mariam hear some of the other wives saying about their husbands?

all they do is work

Who is Mullah Faizullah?

an akhund

what had marco polo restaurant been turned into?

an interrogation center

At the beginning of Chapter 5, how old is Mariam?

approaching 15th birthday

what did mariam do to distract Aziza from the thumping of mortars?

arranged grains of rice on the floor in the shape of a house or rooster or star and let Aziza scatter them, and she drew elephants in one stroke like Jalil had taught her

who made mariam want to weep?

aziza

what does rasheed say to laila when she tells him hes just like the taliban?

aziza doesnt have either his or her eye color, so if he wanted to he could just walk up to the taliban and tell them he was suspicious and that would be it for her

what lie that was really the truth did laila tell zaman?

aziza's father was killed by the taliban

what did laila marvel at?

aziza's manner of speech--her cadence and rythm and thoughtful pauses that were at odds with the young girl who housed them

what did rasheed do to their house?

barricade the door with a couch and set boob traps and lock the gates and carry his loaded gun

who roamed the street in toyota trucks?

beard patrol

Why does Mariam feel Rasheed is a hypocrite for having the magazine?

because he said that women should only be seen by their husbands

Why does the speaker assert that the harami is innocent?

because it isn't her fault, it is her parents fault

Why does Mariam have difficulty understanding Rasheed?

because of his accent; they're from different cities

why did laila not go through with the abortion?

because she couldnt accept what the mujahideen already had--that sometimes in war innocent life had to be taken--her wasnt against rasheed and the baby was blameless

Mariam feels "a flare of pride" when Rasheed compliments her cooking. Why does this surprise her?

because she is starting to have feelings other than hatred towards him

Rasheed has friends over and tells Mariam to stay in her room. Why is Mariam flattered by this demand?

because she thinks that he doesn't want the other men to look at her because she is so beautiful; he doesn't want to share her

Why does Mariam now feel "a kinship" with Rasheed?

because the both have known death with those they love

Later, why does Mariam regret snooping in Rasheed's belongings?

because they are married and they need to trust each other; she didn't want to know his past

when was the first time mariam had been wanted and loved without reservation?

by Aziza, the first true connection in her life of false, failed connections

What chores do Nana and Mariam enjoy together?

cooking and cleaning

why was rasheed fired from the job in Taimani?

customers complained of the long wait (Laila says he was probably outside napping or smoking, and gets severely beaten for this)

what happened at the former women's hospital?

they no longer served women, and the crowd was tol to go to Rabia Balkhi, which had no clean water, no oxygen, no medications, no electricity

what do the taliban do when NGOs offer money to them to help the womens hospitals?

they turn it down or give it to places for men

What does Rasheed say about Fariba and the other women who do not wear burqas and who look him in the eye?

disrespectful

How has Rasheed changed since the loss of the baby?

distant and spiteful

Why is Rasheed worried about the stairs, the knives, and the stove?

doesn't want the child to get hurt

How has Mariam's mood changed by the end of the chapter?

feels hopeless and depressed

what were mariam's last thoughts?

first sorrow that she would never get to hear Laila's laugh or see Aziza grw up or play with her grandkids, then peace because she had been loved and had loved, then her last thought was a verse from the Koran "He has created the heavens and the earth with truth; He makes the night cover the day and makes the day overtake the night, and He has made the sun and the moon subservient; each one runs on to an assigned term; now surely He is the Mighty, the Great Forgiver"

what were the mujahideen doing?

forcing young boys to join their forces at gunpoint, then if these boys were captured by enemy forces they were tortured and made to lead the torturers to their homes to kill their families

how did rasheed regard the taliban?

forgiving, affectionate bemusement as one might regard an erratic cousin prone to unpredictable acts of hilarity and scandal

Mariam finds herself in Rasheed's room. What does she find when she opens the drawers of the dresser?

gun; adult magazines; a picture of his ex wife and dead son

Rasheed covers Mariam in a "stiff, perfunctory" way and complains about the doctor's explanation -- "god's will." How is Rasheed feeling at this point?

frustrated at God and he is mad at Mariam

What tactics does Nana use to keep Mariam from going to visit Jalil? List as many as you can.

guilt, cruelty, and anger

what was aziza like by the time she was 6?

hair as light as laila's with laila's dimples; a calm, pensive child with a demeaner that seemed far past 6

what was Naghma's story?

her father promised her to a tailor 30 years older than her, and she eloped with a boy she fell in love with, a Mullah's son, but they were caught and he said she had seduced him so he was fine and she was imprisoned. on mariam's last day she gave her a tengerine and said mariam was the best friend she ever had

what is his reasoning for wanting to marry her?

he cant just let an unmarried girl live here because it's bad for his reputation, and he's not the Red Cross and cant just keep feeding her and giving her shelter and if he let her go shed be killed and/or raped or starve if neither of those

ehat story does the young Talib sitting across from her on the ride to the stadium tell her?

he doesnt remember his father (a bicycle repairman), but his mother told him that when he was taken by the Soviets, his father cried like a child so it was normal for Mariam to be scared

how did rasheed transfrom in his uniform?

he looked pitiable and bewildered and like he'd accepted life's indignities and almost harmless

what "big word" does rasheed give laila?

he says he's giving her perspecive

How does Rasheed react when Mariam suggests having a burial service for the baby, and what does she do?

he thinks the idea is dumb but she does it by herself

What is this section indicates that Mariam and Mullah Faizullah have a close relationship?

he understands her the most

what job had rasheed found?

he was a doorman at the intercontinental

what did zaman's brother in law from herat do?

he was a glassmaker who made jade green swans

what were najibullah's crimes according to the taliban?

he was an infidel (kafir) and a communist

According to Nana, why did Jalil build her and Mariam's house instead instead of hiring workers?

he was feeling guilty; he was paying his penance

what did abdul say happened to tariq?

he was in a lorry full of refugees (23 of them) goint to peshawar and they were caught in crossfire near the border, and a rocket hit the lorry. of the 6 survivors, only 3 lived at the hospital, including tariq. he said that tariq had described where laila lived, and told abdul how much he cared for laila and to find her and tell her how much he missed her. then, one nigt, tariq died

hwo did zalmai change when he was around rasheed?

he worshipped his father, and in his presence he was easily offended, held grudges,and persisted in mischief even when laila told him to stop, though he never did when it was only him and laila, which rasheed said was a sign of intelligence

what were "those twin poisonous flowers"?

hope and love

what would mariam always admire laila for?

how much time passed before she screamed during the c section

why was Laila glad for the burqa?

if she saw an acquaintance they wouldnt see how far she'd fallen and how her lofty aspirations

what did mariam wonder, with all the fighting going on?

if there was this much fighting in Herat, and how Mullah Faizullah and Bibi jo and jalil (she hoped he was safe) were coping

who occupied tariq's house and why?

it was a gift given by one of Sayyaf's commanders to three young men, the youngest still had some uncorrupted humility

what does aziza say about the titanic fever?

it's all about Leo

who does laila see one day while visiting aziza?

khala rangmaal visiting her 3 kids, but she doesnt recognize laila

who says jack is dead and he's not coming to save everyone?

laila

what does rasheed say about the baby?

laila has given birth to a warlord, Hekmatyar

what did rasheed do every wednesday night and every friday?

listen to the voice of shari'a, when the taliban would announce the names of those schedled for punishment and then watched the punishemnt on fridays in the Ghazi stadium, which he described to laila with exhileration

what was the aluminum table for?

live babies onto the blanket on top, dead ones on the bottom shelf

who chose to cradle her own suffering privately and quiety?

mariam

who had taught aziza koran verses?

mariam

who were inserparable?

mariam and aziza

what happend sat the end of chapter 33?

mariam plays with the baby while laila sleeps and notices the mockingbirds singing

what was the last time mariam saw laila?

mariam was in a dark blue sweater buttoned in the front with white ctton trousers and a white scarf over her head

what happens april 2001, the year mariam turns 23?

massoud leading the northern alliance, begging the US to step in

what does rasheed ask of Laila?

never leave the house without him and a burqa, says its a husbands duty to protect her honor, says that if she needs something and he's away she can send Mariam

did the women's prison proide food?

no

what was the first and only thing mariam asked the talib guards?

no visitors

Describe the process of the marriage

not very emotional

what did laila do to rasheed that ended up with a barrel of a gun in her mouth?

rasheed had borrowed too much money and wanted aziza to become a street beggar, laila said no, he slapped her, she punched him in the face

what were rasheed and aziza's reactions to najibullah's death scene?

rasheed smirked and aziza cried in mariam's arms

what almost made laila laugh while she was being questioned?

officer rahman said it was his duty to maintain order, though there was obviously so much disorder because or the mujahideen

"what's keeping you off the streets, your smarts or me?"

rasheed to laila

why was mariam mostly glad when the fighting subsided?

rasheed was out of the hosue again

In chapter 10, how much time has gone by, and how has Mariam responded to her new home?

one week and she is still in bed; she hasn't unpacked

Describe Nana's reaction to Mariam's breaking the bowl.

overly angry/aggressive

Describe how Mariam feels when she thinks about the baby.

overwhelmingly happy, and she has never felt this much love before

what does abdul say he does?

owns clothing stores, mostly for men, and he has 2 stores in Kabul, Taimani, and Shar-e-na, and 2 in Pakistan, in Peshawar where his warhouse is

what had the man who shared tariq's cell been flogged for?

painting flamingos, the taliban were offended by the long bare legs and had told the painter to either destroy the paintings or make them decent so he had painted trousers on all of them and made islamic flamingos

where is laila staying now that her family and friends and house are gone?

rasheed and mariam's house

how did laila get out of the rubble of the house alive?

rasheed dug her out and brought her to the hospital

what did laila do the night rasheed came to her first?

pricked her thumb with a knife so that there would be blood on the sheets in the morning

what was a well that ran deep and never dried?

rasheed's patience with zalmai

what was used to intimidate civilians and reward militiamen?

rape

who had salvaged a few of babi's books?

rasheed

who said just because things were banned didnt mean you couldnt find them?

rasheed about the TV

Standing on Chicken Street, Mariam sees many "modern women. Describe these women and how they make Mariam feel about herself.

they wear make-up, short skirts, sunglasses, and high heels

in what ways was zalmai like rasheed?

rosy cheeks, thick moon shaped hairline set low on his brow

who were salim and sayeed?

salim was in prison with tariq and told him to find his brother, sayeed, and ask him for work

what allegiances baffled laila?

sayyaf was fighting the hazaras and the hazaras were fighting massoud, who was fighting Hekmaytar, so Sayyaf backed Massoud and Hekmaytar supports the Hazars for now

Describe Rasheed

scruffy, big, smokes cigarettes, and he has large hands

what happend the first winter in the camp?

tariq's dad died, his mom almost did but was saved by a doctor, and tariq cornered a 12 year old boy and held a piece of glass to him and stole the boy's blanket for his mother

What does Mariam assume when Jalil does not arrive on time, and what does she do instead of waiting for him?

she assumes that he had been caught up in business

What does Mariam do the day after Rasheed tells her he expects her to "start behaving like a wife"?

she cooks, cleans, and goes into town

what changes did laila notice in aziza?

she didnt allow for much silence and talked in a high voice punctuated with nervous laughter, and she hid her dirty fingernails and seemed like an embarrassed hostess and she stammered, mostly with words with T

Why does Mariam start to cry in the middle of the living room?

she doesn't want to be with Rasheed in his home

Mariam grieves for her unborn baby. Describe the different beliefs and emotions she feels during this time.

she doubts God

what story had mariam heard of a neighborhood widow?

she had ground up bread and laced it with rat poison and fed it to her children and herself rather than await death by starvation

When Nana was fifteen, she almost got married. Why was the wedding called off?

she had seizers

Why does Mariam see bright colors on the ride home from the doctor?

she is "sick"; pregnant

what roles does aziza assign her family in the Tiatanic?

she is Jack and gets to die a hero, Mariam is Rose and spends the rest of her life sad and longing for him, and Zalmai is the iceberg

what are laila's thoughts when she hears of tariq's death?

she now understood what her mother had gone through and wondered if this was punishment for her aloofness to her mother's suffering. her mind went to the day trip babai had taken her and tariq on

Describe what happens when Jalil's driver tries to get Mariam to get into the car?

she runs into the house and see's Jalil

How does Nana react after Jalil told Mariam about the pistachio tree?

she said those are just lies

What happens to Mariam at the bathhouse?

she starts to bleed; miscarriage

why was laila guilty of her survival?

she thought she shouldnt be here because her dad was going to take the next box outside but she insisted she could do it, and this is why she was outside and he was in when the rocket hit

What happened to Nana after she became pregnant with Mariam?

she was kicked out and was forced to live alone

why had laila agreed to the marriage with rasheed so quickly?

she was pregnant with tariq's baby

Why had Nana refused to live in Herat?

she was scared of being judged

What does Mariam remember about Ramadan back home at Gul Daman?

she would get candy and treats

When the women approach and encircle Mariam, they do so out of curiosity and a welcoming spirit. Why do you think Mariam panics?

she's overwhelmed

what happened to the boys occupying tariq's house?

shot by a rocket from the Hazara of Whadat

Why do you think Nana behaves civilly when Jalil visits?

so he will keep supporting them

when did mariam laila and aziza leave rasheed?

spring 1994

what is laila?

tajik

what does wakil do to them?

takes their money, buys their tickets, then turns them in to the guards, who take them in for questioning

what is laila's dream?

that she and mariam are lowering aziza into the hole wrapped in plastic

what had rasheed always disliked about laila?

that she used big words and thought she was so clever

where did mariam and rasheed go?

the Intercontinental Hotel where mariam used their phone to cal the mayor's office about the whereabouts--they said he died in 1987

what was a geurilla force made up of young Pashtun men whose families had fled to pakistan during the war against te soviets and who had mostly been born in refugee camps?

the Taliban

what had she found in the alley where she'd kissed tariq years ago?

the abandoned bicycle she snapped the spoke from and was contemplating aborting her baby with

what is mariam talking about when she says "it's all I have to give her...they're the only true possession I've ever had"?

the koran verses she teaches aziza

what had mariam's past contained?

the message that love was a damaging mistake and its accomplice, hope, a treacherous allusion

What characteristics of Jalil indicate that he is of a different socio-economic class than Mariam?

the newspaper clippings he brings and discusses with her, his clothes, and he's smart

what did mariam say to laila?

the only time she had stated her will so forcefully, she yelled at laila that she wouldnt be her servant and dint want laila here or her company

what did mariam see as she clawed her way through the people in line at the hospital?

the sacrifices mothers made, one of them decency

why was najibullah there?

the taliban had dragged him form his sanctuary at UN headquarters, he and his brother were on a scaffolding holding a rocket launcher and were hanging dead from ropes tied to traffic light posts after having been tortured and dragged through the streets. the man speaking said that he had killed many Muslims and this is what they do to infidels who commit crimes against Islam

what did mariam agree with rasheed on for once?

the taliban would be able to enforce their rules on woen and make them stay home

what happened september 27?

the taliban, who had overthrown warlords in kandahar in october 1944, were there

what was the radio now known as?

the voice of shari'a

where did mariam go?

the walayat women's prison near chicken street

what happened in the summer of 2000?

third and worst year of drought, and the year of the titanic

why were they digging a hole in the yard?

to hide the TV during the monthly or weekly or even daily raids

What does Mariam tell Mullah Faizullah she wants?

to learn

Why do you think Rasheed wants so badly for the baby to be a boy?

to replace his dead son

Why does Mariam wish Nana could see the fireworks?

to show her new life with Rasheed and show her something happy

what did rasheed say to laila about mariam?

told her that M was a harami and that they (he and L) were city people, while M was raised in a kolba (implying that M is less than him and L), but M is sturdy and a hard worker, and would be a volga if she were a car, while L would be a brand new Benz

how did rasheed get laila a ring?

traded in Mariam's old one, promises Laila that M wont notice its absence

How does Rasheed treat Mariam when she asks questions about Mir Akbar Khyber?

treats her like a child and tells her that she is unintelligent

what was the first sacrifice a mother had to make?

virtue

Why does Mariam first begin to get nervous while standing in line?

when she hears them call her a harami and started looking at her

what was laila glad of?

when the taliban went to work that babi wasnt there to see it

what was the second risky part of aziza laila and mariam's journey?

when they arrived in pakistan, whose borders had been closed to afghanistan since january because of all the refugees

when was the last time she had hear tariq's full name, Mahammad Tariq Walizai?

when they had enrolled in a farsi winter course

what were people doing because of all the rape?

women killing themselves for fear of being raped, and men killing wives or daughters if they had been raped to preserve honor

"God has made us differently, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can. Western doctors and their science have proven this. This is why we require only one male witness but two female ones"

young Talib at Mariam's trial

who was a plump little boy with curly hair, small brownish eyes, and rosy ckeeks?

zalmai

who grinned the way people who share a secret do?

zalmai and rasheed

"it's not your fault...it's those savages, those washis who are to blame. they bring shame on me as a pashtun"

zaman

who was wounded beneath but glossed over his defeat with good humor?

zaman the orphanage director from kandahar