The Kite Runner

For SSR I read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. The novel is about the protagonist Amir, a young Muslim who encounters struggles in his life. When he is young he lives in Afghanistan in a mansion with his father and maid/best friend Hassan. Hassan is a different type of Muslim and is in the low level of class so he gets picked on by the other kids. Amir and Hasan had to end their friendship because Amir could not be seen with someone of a lower class. As the novel progresses Amirs father, Baba goes bankrupt in the family’s business so they move to America. This is where the main struggles occur as most immigrants face when moving to a non native land. They find it very hard living in poverty in California opposed to the luxurious lifestyle back home. They both end up working at a gas station where I see a transition in maturity in the protagonist as he turns eighteen and works alongside with his father. Amir not only pays for all the bills and rent for the apartment they live in, but also wants to work night shifts just feel like a man. Baba meets one of his best friends at a bar, and discuss how they can make life living in America more imaginable. Baba sets an arranged marriage with his friends daughter. Amir and his wife move back to Afghanistan as he feels better off back home.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in real life situations and reality. The Kite Runner not only talks about life struggles but can teach you the culture and heritage of the Muslim community. This novel has taught me some things to do when im stuck in a situation, such as living on my own. If you liked reading The Kite Runner, then you will be really interested in Khaled Hosseini’s sequel A Thousand Splendid Suns, a story about how two girls become friends and survivors of a terrible bombing in their city.