The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

Set in Afghanistan from the fall of the monarchy to the rise of the Taliban, a powerful story of childhood friendship shattered by the events of a single afternoon. Heartbreaking, enthralling, brilliant ... all of this combined with moments of gut-wrenching suspense left me reeling with emotion.

Extract
It happened just the way I'd imagined. I opened the door to the smoky study and stepped in. Baba and Rahim Khan were drinking tea and listening to the news crackling on the radio. Their heads turned. Then a smile played on my father's lips. He opened his arms. I put the kite down and walked into his thick hairy arms. I buried my face in the warmth of his chest and wept. Baba held me close to him, rocking me back and forth. In his arms I forgot what I'd done. And that was good.

Parallels
  • Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels
  • Atonement by Ian McEwan
  • The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad

Romancing the world