32. The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

This is an absolutely beautiful story that starts in Afghanistan in the 1970's. Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghani businessman, has a servant named Hassan. The two boys are inseparable, even though Hassan is a member of a lesser class and of the discriminated-against Hazara ethnic group, until something horrible happens to Hassan which changes their relationship forever. The event haunts Amir even years later after he and his father move to the United States. Part of what makes this work of fiction so beautiful, besides the great plot, is the way in which Hosseini shares his Afghani culture and weaves in stories of life in Afghanistan after the rise of the Taliban. The characters have such depth and the reader can identify with them and their struggles on so many levels. In one passage, Amir describes what he remembers after he goes back to Afghanistan and has a run-in with the Taliban:

"...Getting hurled against the wall. The knuckles shattering my jaw. Choking on my own teeth, swallowing them, thinking about all the countless hours I'd spent flossing and brushing. Getting hurled against the wall. Lying on the floor, blood from my split upper lip staining the mauve carpet, pain ripping through my belt, and wondering when I'd be able to breathe again."

Another quote I love is when Amir is meeting with a lawyer in Pakistan: "I grew up in the U.S., Amir. If America taught me anything, it's that quitting is right up there with pissing in the Girl Scouts' lemonade jar. But, as your lawyer, I have to give you the facts."

Thanks to Jade for recommending this beautiful book. I'd give it four and a half stars out of five - and I'm planning to see the movie and see how it holds up now that I've read the book.