For now, at least, Mariam buys his version of the story. Jalil, on the other hand, claims that he was involved with Mariam's birth. She claims that she gave birth to Mariam alone in their house and had to cut the cord herself. Nana also talks about the day that Mariam was born.Unfortunately, she had a seizure (which she calls a jinn, or evil spirit), and it scared off her potential husband. Nana recalls how she almost got married once when she was fifteen.

Jalil struck a deal with his wives, and he now houses Nana and Mariam in Gul Daman. Jalil's family swore vengeance and shamed Nana's father into abandoning her. Nana used to be Jalil's housekeeper the two had an affair that, well, resulted in Mariam.Talk about a busy man, right? He owns a local movie theater and a few other businesses. Jalil has three wives and nine legitimate children back home.When Jalil leaves, Nana always criticizes him, calling him a liar and a hypocrite. He's totally affectionate with Mariam while they're together, and he calls her a 'little flower' (1.1.7). Mariam's father, Jalil, visits her for one or two hours each Thursday.When she's five, her mother calls her a harami (illegitimate child) for the first time after she accidentally breaks an old family heirloom. Mariam is a young girl who lives with her mother in the small village of Gul Daman.We recommend that you check with your local customs officials or post office for more information regarding importation taxes/duties that may be applicable to your online order as this changes country to country. It is accepted by you that Daunt Books has no control over additional charges in relation to customs clearance. If you are ordering goods for delivery outside of the UK, please note that your consignment may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are levied once the goods reach the country of destination.Īny such charges levied in relation to customs clearance must be paid by you. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.

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A thousand splendid suns pages