Strolling one more time around book stands at one of those many fairs. I can't get enough of books. I love reading and tend to overbuy when I'm on a book hunt. I had already several large bags awaiting me at the cashier. I sensed I had to get one more book. Only one. I had already exceeded my budget by far but books are always worth it to me. And then I saw it. It was the Kite Runner. The title intrigued me and brought back happy childhood memories amidst the civil war in Lebanon. I had heard that title somewhere... it was a movie! Sure that the novel had been written before the story hit the screens, I did a quick search, and it turns out I was right. So I headed to the exit and put that book on top of the pile I intended to read. I wouldn't go back to it before several months had passed as I was going through major events in my professional life. And then one day, I remembered it and it entertained me greatly on one of my many sleepless flights...
The author, Khaled Hosseini, is Afghan-American and was born in Kabul. His father was a diplomat and his mother taught the Persian language at a girls' high school. Both parents are originally from Herat. Hosseini experienced a privileged upbringing. In 1976, his family was stationed in Paris and couldn't return to Afghanistan. In 1980, they sought political asylum in the USA, after the Soviet-Afghan war debuted. Hosseini was only 15 and couldn't speak a word of English... this novel is the first written by Hosseini and it is not an autobiography even if some parts of the novelist's life share common events. The narrative is about a privileged young boy, Amir, and Hassan, the son of his father's servant. Growing up in Kabul, the boys who have both lost their moms at a young age, are friends despite being from different antagonistic tribes, the Pashtuns and the Hazara. The lads experience a lot together, although from a different perspective. This fictional saga depicts Afghanistan in its political turmoil and points out the beautiful and the horrible in Amir's behavior, especially with Hassan. It is about the price for peace, justice, and the underlying hope of achieving that. This is underlined in the last chapter and the movie is but a meager representation of the delightful pace set by the storyline in the book. An enjoyable read that spoke a lot to me, because I grew up in a war-torn country. You will take pleasure in the narration, I'm quite certain!
