The Kite Runner

The kite runner is a novel authored by Khalid Hosseini. Having been of afghan-American origin, Khalid tells the story of the devastating lives of people in Afghanistan. It captures most of the aspects regarding the fall of Afghanistan, rise of Taliban regime, and how refugees escaped to Pakistan and in the U.S. The story has an incredible flow, and full of many themes such as guilt and redemption.

The story begins with two boys, Amir and Hassan, spending their moments in kite fighting in the city of Kabul. Amir comes from a wealthy home while Hassan is a son to Amir’s father servant. Amir is good at kite fighting and even gets the opportunity to showcase his talent at a tournament. The father does not think that he is a man enough until he wins the tournament. Another boy, Assef, is critical of Amir’s friendship with Hassan. On the day that he attempts to physically hurt Amir, Hassan defends him. However, when the same boy attacks Hassan and rapes him, Amir does not do anything but instead watches in cowardice. Having known that the father would be critical of his cowardly act, he keeps quiet and even plans on how Hassan and his father should be evicted from Amir’s home.

After the fall of Soviet Union and military intervention in Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape to Pakistan and then to California. They engage in business as a means of livelihood. Later, Amir acquires education, marries there but cannot have children. In a sad turn out of events, the father dies of cancer. Just before Rahim, a friend to Amir’s father, dies, he calls him to Pakistan and narrates to him how Ali and Hassan had died after protesting the confiscation of Amir’s father’s house. Surprisingly, he is made aware that Hassan was actually his biological brother. He further gives him the task to look for Hassan’s son, Sohrab, from an orphanage in Kabul.

It turns out that a Taliban official takes either a girl or a boy with him from the orphanage and offers money instead. Unfortunately, Sohrab was one among those. Surprisingly, the official is Assef, and has been abusing Sohrab in his home. The only way for Amir would to rescue him would be to accept a beating from Assef, which he does. Sohrab however intervenes by shooting Assef on his left eye. Sohrab and Amir then leave for America and go through an adoption process. The story ends up on a happy note as the Amir and his new son play kite. Clearly, the story is interesting and full of surprises.

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