THE KITE RUNNER written by Khaled Hosseini and published by Anchor Canada (copyright 2003), is a “stunning” and “powerful” story about the son of rich Afghan merchant who grows up alongside an impoverished servant boy who becomes his faithful companion only to be separated by collapse of the monarchy and the growing cultural and religious tensions of the time. The boy manages to escape to California with his father and, 26 years later, receives a call that brings him back home to try and regain the friend he lost.

According to various reviews and synopses, the world contained within the 391 pages of this novel seems to provide the reader with an acute understanding of the Afghan culture and it comes with a good deal of history and then-current political activities which is something I look for in a good book. I think that, alongside The Breadwinner and Parvana’s Journey by Deborah Ellis, this wonderfully-narrated story will help to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind about what it’s like to grow up on the other side of the ocean where everyday life is different almost every day.

Charlie B. on TheGuardian.com gives this book a very positive review, saying:
“I think the best bit about the kite runner is its sense of fate and justice, of good overcoming evil in the end, despite all odds.”