The Kite Runner

I can't believe I waited this long to read this much-acclaimed book that came out a couple of years ago, but I am glad I finally did. Though author Khalid Hosseini writes of his homeland Afghanistan, his colorful and rich characters have echoes of the open-hearted compassion, and neighborliness of the citizens of pre-independence India. Not surprising, given the close proximity and shared histories of the two regions. This novel had it all- loyalty, friendship, betrayal, redemption and the bittersweet quality of reality. The setting is that of pre-Russian occupation, pre-Taliban Afghanistan. The story is of the innocence and end of childhood, of the frailities and imperfections in the best of us, and of new beginnings and coming full circle. For a first novel, and by a physician at that, it is a truly inspiring treat!