All Amir has ever wanted was to feel loved and valued by his father. His mother died in childbirth and the only family he has ever known is his father, and his father’s servant who has a son Amir’s age. Like their fathers, the boys have grown up together and been close their entire lives. In fact, they partner together for a kite flying competition in their neighborhood…and win! It’s what happened after the competition that will change the course of their lives and divide the fathers and sons forever.
The Kite Runner is Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel released in 2003. In the two decades since its publication, the book has received multiple awards and spent multiple weeks on the best seller’s lists. While the novel is considered historical fiction, Hosseini’s life runs parallel to Amir’s in several ways – a prominent father and an inevitable move to California where he graduated from medical school. This is a book about the lasting effects of the decisions we make and how we can make amends for the sins of our past.
I give The Kite Runner 5 out of 5 stars. I think most Americans have a distorted view of what life is like in Afghanistan. Media images from the past 20 years are of Taliban warriors living in caves or the desert, but Hosseini paints a very different picture of life in the city. Hosseini’s writing brings the minute details of every day domestic life to the readers in a way that connects them and shows parallels to our own lives.
I would recommend this book for adults of a certain generation who came of age as America went to war in Afghanistan as it will provide additional details we didn’t learn of in the news. I would also recommend this for anyone looking to learn more about Russia’s involvement in the region since the 1970s. However, with discussions of forced sexual relations, public killings by the Taliban, and other violence, I would recommend this book for more mature audiences over 16.
I chose The Kite Runner for the Read With Lindsey reading challenge prompt “with a Muslim protagonist”. I read Hosseini’s second book A Thousand Splendid Suns for a similar prompt in 2023 and loved it. I have had this book for a year and am so glad I finally got the chance to dig in. This is a book that will sit with you for a while for so many reasons – it is heavy subject matter, but it is so important to understand what this region has experienced over the past 50 years.
We are reading books with a Muslim protagonist in honor of Ramadan, which begins March 10th at sundown. To our friends who celebrate, we wish you much happiness this year! Ramadan Mubarak!
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What I’m Reading
- Current print book: Recipe for Second Chances, Ali Rosen
- Current audio book: 1916: A novel of the Irish rebellion, Morgan Llwelyn
- Book I’m most looking forward to: The Bridges of Madison County, Robert James Waller
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