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Spring of 1959, Mariam was born. Her mother Nana and Jalil had an affair. Nana was casted out when she was pregnant with Mariam.
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King Mohammed Zahir Shah, who ruled Kabul is overthrown by a bloodless coup. Mariam dreamed of living with Jalil.
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For Mariam's fifteenth birthday, she wanted to go to Jalil's cinema and meet her half siblings. When Jalil didn't show up to bring her to the cinema, she walked to Herat. When she came home, she found Nana hung on a tree. Jalil finally took her but married her to Rasheed a few days later.
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Akbar Khyber, who was a communist of parcham party, was found murdered. This lead to a demonstration two days later. Mariam had the first of her seven miscarriage.
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Colonel Abdul Oadar seizes airport in Kabul and leads to a lot of military planes flying over the city. Rebels attack the Presidential Palace and Daoud's loyalist forces are defeated. Leila was born that night.
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America sends weapons and aid to Afghanistan in support to defeat the Soviet Union.
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Abdul Rahid Dostum fights with the Soviet against the Mujahideen. Ustad Atta Mohammed Noor and Ahmad Shah Massoud leave to join the jihad against the Soviets. Later Dostum joined the Najibullah when Soviets leave.
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Mohammed Najibullah becomes the first president of Afghanistan.
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Laila is now nine. Her best friend Tariq is going away for a week but it turned out he was gonna for more than a week. While he was gone, Laila's family found out that Laila's brothers were killed in the war.
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The Treaty of Geneva is signed and the war between the Soviets and Afghans is over. Soviets leave shortly after.
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Last of Soviets army leaves the city Kabul. Laila turned eleven and watched the victory day marching with Tariq.
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The collapse of the Soviet Union caused Najibullah to surender. Afghanistan is now called the Islamic State of Afghanistan.
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Mammy finally got out of bed and threw a party. However, they are now in control and enforce strict Islamic laws. Women were forcced to cover up, had to have a male relative with them if they wanted to travel, and if a woman was found guilty of adultery she would be stoned to death.
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Warlords are fighting on all sides and the CIA armed Commander Massoud's Tajik troops.
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Tariq told Laila that his family is leaving the country and asked her to come with them. Laila refused, but her family decided to leave soon after Tariq left. However, a bomb hit Laila's house before they left, Mammy and Babi were killed. Rasheed and Mariam took Laila. Laila soon found out that she was pregnan with Tariq's child, so she married Rasheed.
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Laila gave birth to Azzia, who was supposed to be a boy.
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Abdul Rahid Dostum switches sides and joins Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and they fired on the Presidential Palace. This lead to very violent killings of innocent civilians.
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Laila stole enough money from Rasheed to get to Parkistan. She took Azzia and asked Mariam to come with her. They were taken home by a officer. Rasheed starved them for a long time.
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The Taliban were a guerilla force. They captured Ali Mazari and killed him while taking over cities on their way to Kabul.
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The Taliban captured Jalalabad and Sarobi where they eventually reach Kabul. Laila soon found out that she was pregnant with Rasheed's child.
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The Taliban enforce the law of Sharia. These laws were more targeted towards women and had very harsh punishments.
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Women were asked to go to different hospitals then men. Laila had to give birth to her son, Zalmai, without drug.
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Rasheed lost his shop, and started going from job to job. The family soon started starving. Mariam tried to call Jalil for help and found out that he died.
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Massoud goed to France to warn the European Parliment of the terrorist camps in Afghanistan that is run by the Taliban. He pleads to the U.S. asking for their help to fight the Taliban.
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Azzia was sent to an orphange because Rasheed can't support the family. Laila would walk to see her and get beat. One day when she came home, Tariq was waiting for her. Rasheed found out and tried to kill her, Mariam had to kill Rasheed. She was sentenced to death for it.
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Afghanistan terriost group ran by Osama bin Laden attack the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. President Bush declares war on Afghanistan. Laila and Tariq watched it on tv since they were now in Pakistan.
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The Taliban government collapse
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Laila missed Kabul. Her, Tariq, Azzia and Zalmai went back. Before, Laila visited Mariam's tutor. She then started teaching in Kabul.
