Book: The Kite Runner

Author: Khaled Hosseini
Publisher:

Every now and then, a book comes along that makes you think. Kite runner affected me in ways I had not anticipated.

Based on the story of two friends growing up in the Afghanistan long forgotten – the Afghanistan of beautiful architecture, peace and song, the book takes one into the mind of the protagonist Amir who loves flying kites and making an impression on his striking, domineering father. It is the kinship between Amir and his friend Hasan that forms the backbone of the plot and exposes the class, ethnic and social issues that Afghans and perhaps all South Asians face even today.

The Kite runner is a book of fiction but in the depths of the fictitious characters lie deep, entrenched problems of our society, the legacy of the Taliban, the little known massacres of anonymous Hazaras in Afghanistan, the servant-master relationship, the pains of living a life full of fear and the devotion of one Hazara boy to his young master.

The Kite runner is a book that subtly exposes what our history books conceal and does so in a personal, very emotional way that makes for mesmerizing reading.