Dana's Assignment 10

The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, a Muslim, who struggles to find his place in the world because of the aftereffects from a series of traumatic childhood events. An adult Amir opens the novel in the present day United States with a vague reference to one of these events, and then the novel flashes back to Amir's childhood in Afghanistan. In addition to typical childhood experiences, Amir struggles with building a closer relationship with his father, Baba; with determining the exact nature of his relationship with Hassan, and eventually with finding a way to atone for pre-adolescent decisions that have lasting repercussions. Along the way, readers are able to experience growing up in Afghanistan in a single parent home, a situation that bears remarkable similarities to many contemporary families in the world.
Ultimately, The Kite Runner is a novel about relationships. Specifically the relationships between Amir and Hassan, Baba, Rahim Khan, Soraya, and Sohrab, and how the complex relationships in our lives overlap and connect to make us the people we are. Follow the steps with Amir, changed from a craven boy to a brave man, from a persnickety person to a generous person. We see the shadow of ourselves. I recommend this book to you, because this is a book you will never forget.