The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini that was published in 2003. It tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, Afghanistan, and his relationship with his friend Hassan, the son of Amir's father's Hazara servant.
The story begins in the 1970s, when Amir and Hassan are children living in Afghanistan. Amir is the son of a wealthy Pashtun businessman, while Hassan is a Hazara, a minority group that is discriminated against by many Pashtuns. Despite their differences in social status and ethnicity, the two boys are close friends and enjoy playing together, especially kite fighting, a popular pastime in Afghanistan.
As they grow older, Amir becomes increasingly aware of the divisions between the Pashtun and Hazara communities, and begins to feel guilt over his own privilege. Meanwhile, Hassan remains loyal and devoted to Amir, even though he is often mistreated and marginalized by others.
The story takes a dramatic turn when Hassan is brutally attacked and raped by a group of Pashtun boys, including one of Amir's cousins. Amir, who witnessed the attack but did not intervene to help his friend, is consumed by guilt and shame. He decides to flee Afghanistan with his father and settle in the United States, leaving Hassan and the rest of his past behind.
Years later, after the fall of the Taliban, Amir returns to Afghanistan to try and make amends for his actions and find redemption. Along the way, he uncovers long-hidden secrets about his family's past and the true nature of his relationship with Hassan. The novel explores themes of guilt, forgiveness, and the consequences of choices made in the face of difficult circumstances.
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