And the Mountains Echoed

"In Khaled Hosseini’s best novel yet, nine characters must decide what they would (and wouldn’t) do for the happiness of their family. Among the options: sell a daughter, kill a sister, protect an alcoholic mother, accept a life of lonely desperation. The novel brims with scenes of Afghan cruelty and generosity, but to Hosseini’s credit, there isn’t a single villain in sight. After all, even warlords can be nice daddies."