The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner is the first novel by the American novelist of Afghan origin Khaled Hosseini, which tells the story of Amir, the boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan neighborhood in Kabul, and his close friend Hassan, a Hazara servant of his father. The events of the story take place against the backdrop of turbulent events, including the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan, the Soviet military intervention, the displacement of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and then the rise of the Taliban regime. Khaled Hosseini describes the book as a story about the relationship between father and son, emphasizing family aspects in the novel, an element he consistently used in his later works. The book highlights feelings of guilt and attempts at atonement, with a scene where Hassan is assaulted and Amir fails to defend his friend. The second half of the book focuses on Amir's attempt to atone for his sin by trying to save his friend's son after two decades have passed. The book became one of the bestsellers after its publication and gained popularity in book clubs. It topped the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years, with over seven million copies sold in the United States. The book received generally positive reviews. However, some parts of the book sparked controversy in Afghanistan. Following the publication of the book, a film of the same name was released in 2007, along with several theatrical adaptations and a graphic novel.