The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a poignant novel set against the backdrop of Afghanistan’s turbulent history, from the peaceful days of the 1970s in Kabul to the Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban. It follows Amir, a young Pashtun boy from a privileged family, and his devoted Hazara friend Hassan, the son of their servant, as they bond over kite fighting in the serene streets of their childhood city. A pivotal betrayal occurs when Amir witnesses Hassan’s brutal assault during a kite tournament but fails to intervene, a guilt that haunts him into adulthood as he flees with his father to America, builds a new life, marries, and becomes a writer, yet remains tormented by his past. Decades later, a call from an old family friend draws Amir back to a war-ravaged Afghanistan, where he seeks redemption by rescuing Hassan’s orphaned son, Sohrab, confronting ethnic tensions, father-son dynamics, and the enduring quest for atonement.