I know this book is wildly popular, but in case you’ve not had a chance to check it out, let me tell you about The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. It was, to say the least, incredible.
It is the story of two boys, best friends, growing up together in Afghanistan. Amir was born to a well-off family. Hassan was the son of one of a servant to Amir’s family. Despite the differences in their background, the two boys were best friends. Though neither of them realize, their bond runs much deeper than friendship. One day Amir witnesses violence against his friend Hassan, but feels paralyzed to intervene; the guilt and grief he feels towards and for his friend is life-altering.
Civil unrest and war break out and the two friends are separated; Amir and his father moving to America and Hassan remaining in their homeland.
Hosseini paints a beautiful picture of the lives of these young boys together in pre-war Afghanistan. He beautifully captures images from the Middle East and paints them with words for his audience to hear and envision. The story, while truly a story about two boys, is a story about Afghanistan, the Middle East, violence, and friendship that crosses cultural and geographic borders. It is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming.
Many years later, Amir returns to the home of his childhood, only to find that nothing is as he remembers. He learns of what has become of his long ago friend and the tragedies his country was wracked with during periods of violence and war. Hoping to make up for the cowardice of his younger years, he embarks on a journey that is as transformative as it is revelatory.
Rife with laughter, tears, anger and hope, this book will leave you changed. Again, another wonderful candidate for your reading list.
The Kite Runner has also been turned into a major motion picture and below is the film trailer.