The Kite Runner by: Khaled Hosseini

PLOT: After spending years in California, Amir returns to his homeland in Afghanistan to help his old friend Hassan, whose son is in trouble.


Located on the back of the book:

Dear Reader,

When I first picked up the manuscript for The Kite Runner, I knew I had something remarkable in my hands. From the opening pages, I was drawn in by the writing - assured, beautifully descriptive, unfolding at its own pace. Its big thematic concerns - the relationships between fathers and sons, upper class and outcast, loyalty and betrayal - set against a historical background, had and epic feel that seemed rooted in a past century.

And yet despite the novel's old-fashioned storytelling, the subject of The Kite Runner couldn't be more relevant today: through the doomed friendship of two boys, we witness the tragic history of Afghanistan in the past thirty years, from the last days of the monarchy, to the Soviet invasion, and on to the atrocities of the Taliban.

Since reading this haunting novel, when I've seen the headlines about Afghanistan in the news, I've experienced the tragedy in a surprisingly personal way. I feel a connection to the land and its inhabitants that I never felt before. And I am reminded how powerful and immediate fiction can be, and why this book is important. I hope that you will share my admiration for The Kite Runner, and that it will affect you as powerfully, and memorably, as it has me.

Sincerely,

Celina Spiegel
Vice-President,
Publisher


My Opinion: Alexandria read this book about six months ago and told me a little about it and how great it was. I wanted to read it but never made the time. I just now finished it and oh my goodness. This book was excellent. It was an easy read and the book consisted of 324 pages. The movie is out on DVD and I can't wait to watch it. I saw a trailer just a few minutes ago and it looks just as good as the book.