The Kite Runner

The book I chose was The Kite Runner (Wiki) by Afghan American Khaled Hosseini. The story is told through the eyes of Amir, a young boy growing up in Afghanistan in the 1970's. Amir lives with his father in a fairly expensive mansion in the town of Kabul. Ali, a "servant" in their home, has a son named Hassan, with whom Amir spends every day with. Amir reads to Hassan and writes him stories, while Hassan helps cook and clean the house. In their free time they go out and act like normal ten-year-old kids, retreating to a large tree in which they'd sit under while Amir reads Hassan stories. In the mid 70's, Amir witnesses a tragic event involving Hassan and the town bully, during that winter's "Kite Fight." This causes Hassan and his father to leave their home forever. Meanwhile, Amir hasn't told anyone what has happened.

Russia invades Afghanistan, and Amir and his Father flee to Pakistan by way of truck and tank transport that was also brought up in Men In The Sun. They eventually end up in Fremont, California, in a small apartment within an Afghan-American neighborhood; a major shift in lifestyle.

Amir marries Soraya, who he meets at a local town market. His father becomes ill with lung cancer and passes away shortly after the wedding. Fifteen years later, Amir receives a phone call from a friend of his father's back in Afghanistan, with horrifying news of the death of Hassan. Even worse, the news of Hassan's son Sohrab, who is now a slave to the Taliban. Amir returns to Afghanistan to rescue Sohrab, barely escaping a fatal beating but succesfully returning to California with him and adopting him.

Though haunting at times, I thought this was a great story. It showed bravery, terror, sadness, and joy all together. It's amazing how no matter how terrible life can become while trying to survive, and how strong people like Amir stay throughout a lifetime of complication.