#6: The Kite Runner

To start out, this is my second time reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time, and enjoyed it just as much on the reread, finishing it easily in a couple of days. For those of you who have not read the book and/or seen the movie, The Kite Runner is about Amir, a young boy growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan. Amir lives a privileged life, as his father is a well-connected businessman. However, Amir's mother died during his birth, and his father is somewhat distant - Amir feels like he is unable to please him. He finds friendship with Hassan, the son of Ali, the family's servant.

In Kabul, one of the favored activities was kite fighting. Boys would fly kites with strings coated in glass fragments and try to cut the strings of competitors' kites. When a kite was defeated, others would try to "run" the kite and catch it when it drifted back down. Amir sees the kite competition as a way to finally win the approval of his father, and he teams up with Hassan, a great kite runner. When Amir is successful, his glory fades when he fails to help Hassan out of a terrible situation. The shame and guilt he feels bear down on him through the course of the story.

Eventually, Amir's idyllic life experiences a major change. His father is out of favor with the new government, so the two of them flee Afghanistan, eventually ending up in the Bay Area. They become part of a growing Afghan community of people who were movers and shakers now toiling away in menial jobs. As time passes, Amir marries and pursues his dream of becoming a writer, but he is not satisfied. Then his old friend, Rahim Khan, suddenly summons Amir back to Afghanistan with a mission, offering him the opportunity for redemption.

The Kite Runner is a beautiful story. Hosseini's descriptions paint a vivid picture of what Afghanistan used to be like before it was ravaged by decades of war. Amir is a strong character, as he wants to do what is right, but also wants to gain the approval of his father, two things that lead to conflict. Even so, the story is about so much more than Amir.

The Kite Runner is another book that I highly recommend. Also check out Khaled Hosseini's other novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Rating: *****