The Kite Runner
by Khaled Hosseini
Buy on AmazonThe unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies. A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic. (source)
Recommended by
"I am inspired by breathtaking descriptions of nature or place, descriptions that know when to stop, but push a compelling story forward."
By the Book: Delia Owens · nytimes.com
"It shows you should not judge other people by external things. And it shows loyalty and friendship."
By the Book: Malala Yousafzai · nytimes.com
"Yes, this is his debut novel. I think this is one of the most beautifully written books. It’s one of my favourites. It is so poignant. It follows the story of Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of Amir’s father’s servant. As children in the relatively stable Afghanistan of the early 1970s, the boys are inseparable. They spend idyllic days running kites and telling stories of mystical places and powerful warriors until an unspeakable event changes the nature of their relationship for ever. It is a very powerful story with some really haunting images but, of course, it is focusing on Afghanistan in the 1970s rather than 2001 like the previous book. The Bookseller is talking about post-Taliban and The Kite Runner is looking at the portrait of Afghanistan pre-Taliban, and also when the war happens and the Taliban kicks in. So it spreads across a couple of decades. It’s the story of friendship, betrayal and one man’s journey to try and redeem himself. Well, it shows that Afghanistan is not just dominated by the Taliban take on Islam because it is showing the country in the 1970s when people had a much more moderate view. And I find that very interesting because it is not how we see Afghanistan now, so it is really showing a different side to it. But that also applies to Islam – how you can have different shades of Islam."
Islam · fivebooks.com