Synopsis
This epic novel is set in Afghanistan, beginning in the days of the monarchy and reaching to the early 21st century. Amir is the son of a wealthy man; his best friend is Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Growing up in Kabul, the two share an idyllic childhood until a traumatic event--and Amir's act of cowardly betrayal--changes the nature of their friendship. Amir, who ends up in America, is tortured by his betrayal of Hassan, and he finds himself compelled to return, years later, to a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan to make amends. THE KITE RUNNER, written by an Afghani--now a physician--whose family found asylum in the U.S. in 1980--personalizes the conflicts in Afghanistan and the US involvement there. A debut novel, it was hailed by critics for its poetic prose and vivid characters.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2003-01-01 |
Publisher's Note
Winter, 1975: Afghanistan, a country on the verge of an internal coup. Twelve-year-old Amir is desparate to win the approval of his father, one of the richest merchants in Kabul. He's failed to do so through academia or brawn, but the one area in which they connect is the annual kite tournament.
Industry Reviews
"Here's a real find: a striking debut from an Afghan now living in the US....Rather than settle for a coming-of-age or travails-of-immigrants story, Hosseini has folded them both into this searing spectacle of hard-won personal salvation. All this, and a rich slice of Afghan culture too: irresistible."
Kirkus Reviews (05/01/2003)
"[A] passionate story about guilt, honour and forgiveness, enlivened both by its capacity to offer a valuable insider's view into a country much in the news, and by its wisdom about how life is all about the choices we make."
Literary Review - Lucy Beresford (09/01/2003)
"...Khaled Hosseini gives us a vivid and engaging story that reminds us how long his people have been struggling to triumph over the forces of violence--forces that continue to threaten them even today."
New York Times Book Review - Edward Hower (08/03/2003)
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