Theme of the book?

One major theme in the novel is that of survivor's guilt. In the first part of the novel, Karim's icy demeanor can be explained by the weight of knowing he has lived while Nada, Maha, and her family have died. The guilt he feels for having survived while others have died leads to persistent mental and emotional distress. In Part II, it becomes evident that Maha is also suffering from survivor's guilt: she admits that she doesn't understand why she, monstrous in her jealousy of her sister, lived while better and more valuable people died. Ultimately, Karim is able to assuage his guilt by working to become a doctor and by reminding himself that he must live to tell Jad about his deceased family.