The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Posted on September 23rd, 2008 in Adult, Young Adult |
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This book has been around for a few years – copyright 2003 – but one of my students from Afghanistan recommended it to me. It is about the politics and economic realities of Afghanistan told as a story through the friendship of two boys, one the son of a rich man, Amir, and his best friend, the son of the Hazara servant, Hassan. Amir is the main character and the story follows him as he grows up, first in Afghanistan, then in the Bay Area. The story provides insights to the lives of people living in an area of the world that is experiencing turmoil and violence. Amir moves to California with his father and Hassan stays in Afghanistan. They lose contact with each other for many years. One day, Amir returns to Afghanistan as a successful writer, happily married to an Afghan girl he met in the U.S.A. While back in his homeland, he tries to track down his old friend, Hassan. Hassan is dead, and his son has been placed in an orphanage. Amir finds the little boy and the story comes full circle. What I liked best about this book is the insight it provides the reader to life in Afghanistan and the effects of the Taliban on the people there.
Cheryl Beran-Catalina Library-TUSD
2 Responses
This is only the 2nd book after “The DaVinci Code” which I raced home to read because I couldn’t get enough! Though it was quite a sad read, sometimes we need to get those kinds of emotions out. I have “A Thousand Splendid Suns” waiting in the wings.
i havn’ read this book but i have seen the movie it was sad to see a little boy get raped by some other teenage boys and how the talibans were beating up one helpless women and noboby came to help in the fear that talibans would the same thing. i have not only seen these things but lived in them i from afghanistan and my life is very similiar to this book thats what got me so into this book soo much.