How does Hosseini portray the experience of Mariam growing up, before her marriage?

Hosseini portrays Mariam as a young woman who has been brought up in poverty. As a child, she was brought up to know her place in society as a 'harami,' or bastard. Mirian is strong willed, and she questions authority. She also dreams of a better world for herself - far beyond what she finds within the walls of her small shack. Though she is raised by Nana, her mother, she is very fond of her estranged father, Jalil. After falling into deep despair following her mother's death, Mariam is abandoned by Jalil, who marries her off to Rasheed, despite her attempts to remain single.