In his maiden book, Khaled Hosseini, an Afghani Tajik by birth, spins a tail about Amir and Hassan .A story about friendship, love, loss, compassion, and loyalty, The Kite Runner is a story set in an Afghanistan of 1970-2001 where the country goes through tumultuous decades of being ruled by several oppressive governments ranging from the Russians to the Taliban. Amir, an Afghani Pashtun, has always shared a strained relationship with his father, to gain his father’s approval he resolves to win the local kite flying competition. And he manages to do so with the help of his best friend and faithful Hazara servant boy, Hassan. But the months that follow bring forth Amir’s insecurity and Hassan’s undying loyalty to the only friend he has ever known culminating, finally, in Amir’s betrayal just before he is forced to flee Afghanistan with his father.
He will, years later have to come back to his past and right his wrong and in it achieve what his new life never granted him : forgiveness for his sins. Hosseini in his book has boldly dealt with topics not many authors would touch and put them across with much sensitivity. The book is an emotionally charged saga of one man’s penance for his mistake. His quest for truth and redemption. Hosseini is one of the few gifted authors who paints pictures with his pen, delves into your heart and evokes emotions you weren’t aware of possessing. A must read for all.