How do Laila and Mariam learn from each other in A Thousand Splendid Suns?

By the time Laila arrives in the household, Mariam has
already come to hate her husband, Rasheed. Mariam is none too happy about the new
arrangement, and she resents the young girl's presence. But when Laila defends Mariam
during an argument with Rasheed, the older woman begins to soften. When she presents
Laila with some hand-knitted baby clothes, the ice is permanently broken. The two agree
to share chores in the hopes of making things easier for themselves, but Rasheed's anger
toward both of them intensifies. Nevertheless, the two women now have a friend on whom
to rely. The younger Laila learns from Mariam's experiences, and Mariam comes to respect
the independent nature of her new, young friend. When Laila invites Mariam to join her
on her planned escape from Rasheed's home, it gives them both hope. After their escape
fails, the woman unite in keeping their spirits up during the trying years ahead. In the
end, Mariam realizes that she must confess to the murder of Rasheed in order for Laila
to avoid charges against her, and Mariam's sacrifice allows Laila and Tariq to live the
life together that Mariam had always dreamed for herself. Mariam's memory lives on in
Laila, who returns to the older woman's childhood home in order to better understand and
remember her. Laila knows that she has never had a better friend, and she hopes that her
unborn child will be a girl so she can name her after the woman who gave her life to
assure Laila's future.