The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Afghanistan is often in the news these days because it is a country ravaged by war, conflict, and terrorism. What we don’t hear about is the average people who live there and how they survive day to day under very difficult circumstances. Author Khaled Hosseini was born in Afghanistan and moved to the U.S. after the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in 1980. He has written 2 books which take place in Afghanistan. Through these stories he introduces us to ordinary people living in extraordinary times.

The Kite Runner begins in the mid 1970’s when Afghanistan is a beautiful and vibrant land, full of exotic plants and fruit trees. It is told in the first person by Amir, the privileged son of a wealthy businessman. His best friend is Hassan, the son of Amir’s family servant. The two young boys share a happy childhood in the beauty of Kabul, Afghanistan. As they age, differences in their social class cause difficulties in their relationship. When Russia invades Afghanistan in 1980, Amir and his father escape to the USA, where they subsequently live in poverty as immigrants in a strange land. Hassan and his father are forced to stay in Afghanistan and face the extremely cruel conditions which exist in a land torn apart by conflict. Through a series of events, Amir returns to Afghanistan years later as an adult to find the orphaned son of Hassan, and learns many surprising things about his heritage and homeland. The story starts out a little slow, but stick with it - it’s a story of friendship and loyalty that will haunt and inspire you for a long time.


A Thousand Splendid Suns, told in the third person, is the story of Mariam who is born and raised in Afghanistan. In the culture of her country, she is forced to leave her mother’s home to marry a much older man she has never met. By her own determination and will to survive, she makes the best of her situation. Years later when her husband takes on a second wife, she adapts and learns to be a loving mentor and friend. All of this takes place over 30 years with the backdrop of conflict and war raging, and the emergence of a government run by the Taliban, which is very unkind toward women. It is a moving story of determination, friendship, and the will to not only survive, but thrive under impossible circumstances. This book made me think a lot about how different my life would have been had I been born in Afghanistan, and made me truly appreciate the freedom and opportunities we have here in the USA.
Reviewed by Mrs. Dunaski