by Khaled Hosseini, a first time novelist. This man just has to write more, he's an incredibly gifted writer. Very impressive for a first book. It takes place in Afghanistan (where he's from) and covers Pakistan and San Francisco, as well. It's about a strong childhood friendship between 2 boys (1 named Amir who narrates in 1st person) growing up in 1970s Afghanistan during peacetime and follows through into the Russian invasion in the 80s and finally the Taliban in the 90s. Relationships are a strong presence in the book (Amir and his father, Amir and his dad's best friend). The ties that bind are indeed strong. We see the disintegration of a once lovely, peaceful existence in pre-war Afghanistan into a war-torn, fractured, violent country. The afghanis are victims of invaders, getting slaughtered by the Taliban for reasons as trivial as not having a beard! Hosseini's book is semi-autobiographical, as noted in a recent NPR interview he did. The story is a tragedy; yet beautifully written. It's bittersweet. Our tragi-hero is guilt-ridden, but finds redemption in the end. The book is currently #1 on the LA Times paperback bestseller list. Written post 9/11, it's apropos to what's still going on now (don't forget, we are still fighting in Afghanistan, though it's overshadowed by Iraq). I highly encourage everyone to read this. It's a unisex book (both Jeff & I read it and loved it). It was given to us by a traveler on our recent trip to Spain. One learns much regarding Afghani culture and how peaceful-loving the people are. It's a before & after story about the detrimental effects of war & oppression on a society. It covers sociology, geography, history, psychology. Every page is gripping and harrowing. I really loved this one. Khaled writes with such poignancy and raw realism that I sometimes forgot it is just a novel because it could easily be considered a work of nonfiction. For those who want to learn more about this fascinating culture and have an affinity for close relations, this is a must read.
