The Kite Runner

One word to describe this book : Gripping. This book is hard to put down once you start. The story set both in Afghanistan and US, comes together very well. It is a story about redemption. Can we correlate to the story? Most of us can. The setting, the innocence of childhood and the darkness of the past all make this book a very compelling read. The story starts with 2 young boys, Amir and Hassan. Their world seems so diffent : one rich the other poor, one educated the other illeterate, one master the other servant. But they share a bond. But one incident changes their lives forever and this is when the story takes a turn. The twists keep coming. The selfishness of youth and guilt of old are all portrayed very well. For me, having born and raised in India, it was very easy to relate the settings to my own childhood. The warmth of friends and relatives were very easy to understand and it did not seem unreal, even for a moment. It is a very emotional ride.