When I was a sophomore in college, my roommate and I discovered that there were many people on campus who loved to read just as much as we did and were in the habit of sharing books. We decided to formalize the process and start a book club. By our junior year we had a solid following of about 20 book worms and we took turns leading the discussions.
In the Fall of my junior year we were reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and due to my work load, I had to skip reading that month's book. Ever since then I have been dying to work The Kite Runner back onto my "must read" list and on my most recent vacation I was finally able to dive in!
I read the book in it's entirety on the plane ride to Israel. Not just because the plane ride was long enough, but because the book is so beautifully written. Hosseini's descriptive powers allow you to touch, feel, taste, smell and hear everything around his characters in incredibly vivid detail. His characters are people and relationships you recognize in your own life, allowing you to live the story with them.
The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, a young boy growing up in Afghanistan. The book tells the story of his childhood which was consumed by two things: his friendship with his servant's son, Hassan, and a never ending quest to gain acceptance from his father.
The story follows Amir and his father as they flee Afghanistan after a Communist take over, and chronicles the second chapter of their life in America. The final third of the book tells the story of Amir's first trip back to Afghanistan when he is a grown man. He travels on a particular mission that proves to be painful and disturbing.
The story of Amir and his family is heart wrenching, but the book is written in such an authentic and moving way, it is worth enduring the pain with the protagonist.
I had a sense while reading, given the detail of many people, places and events, that this story may have been loosely based on Hosseini's personal life. If you read his biography on his website, you will find this to be true.
This is one of the most powerful books I have read and I highly recommend you pick it up immediately if not sooner. Hosseini has written a second book, A Thousand Splendid Suns, which has also received critical acclaim.
Thank you Khaled Hosseini for sharing Amir's story and your incredible talent.
