Summary: In these chapters, Tariq and Laila get married, and live in a hotel with their children. Tariq also works at the hotel. They live in Muree and have running water, and food. Also one of the important Taliban leaders Shah Massoud is killed, thus showing the war is coming closer to an end.
Laila tells Tariq about how she wants to move back to Afghanistan which was her home her entire life. Tariq agrees, and soon enough they are on their back to Afghanistan. While on their way back, they stop in Herat, the town in which Mariam grew up in. Laila goes to where she lived as a child the Kolba, and visits Mullah Faizullah’s house and receives a box in which Mariam’s father had left for Mariam before he died. In the box, is a tape of Pinocchio, a letter to Mariam from her father, and money. When they finally arrive back in Afghanistan, Laila starts teaching at the orphanage in which she was forced to send Aziza to before. Laila has also just found out that she is pregnant with another child, and thinks that if it is a girl, she will indeed name is Mariam.
Analysis: Once Laila and Tariq are married, Laila feels finally happy and complete. She feels happy for once and that her life can’t get better. Aziza accepts Tariq right away, because she finds out that he is truly her father. Since Tariq isn’t Zalmai’s father, Zalamai has a harder time accepting him, however, starts to do it slowly.
In these chapters, Laila starts to feel homesick, and wants to move back to Kabul now that it is safer. On their way back, they pass through Herat, the city where Mariam grew up. Laila visits Mariam’s old house, and receives a box with Jalil left for Mariam. Laila is overcome with joy when she realizes Jalil left Mariam money. The novel ends with Laila teaching at the orphanage and helping fix it up, something which she really wanted to do. She is also overcome with joy because she finds out she is pregnant and plans on naming her child after Mariam.
