I first stumbled across this book as a teen in a school library, but was advised to wait a few years until reading it. Almost a decade on, I finally took that advice and got cracking. I'm so glad I was told this, and waited until adulthood to delve in.
At it's core, The Kite Runner is a story about friendship and family. Two boys, Amir and Hassan, grow up as best friends. Amir and his Baba are well off, whilst Hassan and his father are servants in their household. They are inseparable, but Amir is always upset that his Baba likes Hassan. Hassan is everything Amir is not: sporty, brave and more like Baba that Amir could ever be.
Kite running is what the pair most enjoy doing together. They practise every day for a massive tournament, and when they win, Amir is over the moon. Until he sees something awful happen to Hassan. And in that moment, he's pre-occupied with needing to be Baba's favourite person, not needing to be a good friend.
Things only go downhill from there, and shortly after betraying Hassan further, Amir and his father leave Afghanistan. The power of the taliban is on the increase, and they emigrate to America as their lives are in danger.
The book speaks about the struggles of being an immigrant in a country prejudiced against you, and what it means to cling on to an identity that you're not convinced should define you.
This is one of the best books I've read all year so far (definitely in the top three) and I would highly recommend it, especially if you want to learn more about living in Afghanistan during turbulent times.
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