The Kite Runner
By: Khaled Hosseini
-pgs: 371
I read this story as a recommendation from other avid readers. I found some of the subjects of this story to be very difficult to read. This caused me much reflection on events that happen in today’s world that people experience. There really is so much brutality and inhumanity that occurs in the world and this story conveys different types of these experiences. This is a story of a young Afghanistan boy who deals with discrimination, violence and war while he is living in his home country. He escapes with his father and moves to California where his dad works hard to put him through school. The main character reflects throughout the story on his experiences in Afghanistan and spends many moments thinking of his friend, Hassan. In particular, he reflects on how he betrayed his friend and how, years later, he still feels guilt for it. This is a story of redemption and it is also a coming of age story. The main character is given an opportunity to make amends for his earlier betrayal but it comes at a huge cost. This book has received many awards as well as commendations from people and it is all appropriate. It is well-written and gives insight into a culture that one may know little about. I found the book to be difficult to read because of the subject matter but I really enjoyed the story.