The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is an incredible story about Amir, a twelve year old boy who was born in Afghanistan and ages throughout the story.  The novel starts off in Afghanistan during the 1970’s, when Amir is still a child.  Hosseini writes about life in Afghanistan–frequent trips to the cinema, reading in a field under a pomegranate tree, and in the winter time, flying kites in local competitions.  Amir’s father, Baba, had two servants who lived and worked on his property–Baba’s childhood friend, Ali, and his son, Hassan.  After one of the kite-flying competitions, Hassan offers to retrieve the winning kite for Amir.  When loyal Hassan does not return, Amir starts to panic and searches for him.  Only when Amir finds Hassan in an alleyway confronted by a group of boys who bully him, the innocence in his eyes is quickly washed away.  Too scared to step in and defend his friend he’s known since he was a newborn, Amir silently sits back and watches the events in the alleyway unfold.  Hassan, against Amir’s belief, knew he was watching the whole time.  Hassan is forever changed by that day, and Amir’s hands are metaphorically drenched with Hassan’s blood.  From then on, Amir must find a way, if one even exists, to “become good again”.

If you haven’t heard of the greatness of this book by now, you probably don’t read.  The Kite Runner is a grim, tragic, upsetting, and beautiful book.  This novel opened my eyes and let me see a larger world.  Since I was born only shortly before 9/11, I’ve only thought of Afghanistan as the way it is now, never like a peaceful place Hosseini described it as during Amir’s childhood.  The Kite Runner is a timeless tale of one boy’s journey from adolescence to adulthood.  The ending of The Kite Runner was just as good as the beginning, and the middle was just as good as the end.  Destined to become a classic, The Kite Runner is a must-read.  A brilliantly told tale of honor, guilt, fear, and redemption, The Kite Runner is a story that is simultaneously haunting and powerful.