A powerful tale of friendship, guilt and redemption in The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini’s first novel The Kite Runner came out in 2003. It tells the story of two boys growing up in Afghanistan; however, it is also about friendship, betrayal, guilt and forgiveness. Even though it takes place far away, the feelings are universal. Anyone can understand the pain of making a mistake and the hope of putting things right.

The book begins in Kabul in the 1970s. Amir lives in a large house with his father, Baba. They are Pashtuns, the main group in Afghanistan. Amir’s best friend is Hassan, the son of Baba’s servant. Hassan and his father are Hazaras, a smaller group that is often treated badly. Even though they come from different worlds, the two boys spend almost every day together telling stories, playing, and flying kites. Kite fighting is a big sport in Kabul, where boys try to cut each other’s kites from the sky and then run to catch the last one.