The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseini

A story of Amir and Hassan in Afghanistan and exile, centered on friendship, betrayal, guilt, fathers and sons, and the hope of redemption.

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Published

May 29, 2003

Publisher

Riverhead Books

Pages

400

ISBN-13

9781594631931

What this book opens

The Kite Runner follows Amir, a wealthy boy in Kabul, and Hassan, the son of his father’s servant, through childhood, betrayal, exile, and return.

The novel moves between personal guilt and Afghanistan’s political collapse, turning kite fighting into a symbol of memory, loyalty, loss, and the possibility of being good again.

About the author

About The Author

Related reading

The Kite Runner — https://khaledhosseini.com/books/the-kite-runner/
Official book page on friendship, betrayal, redemption, and Afghanistan.
The Kite Runner Reading Guide — https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/83013/the-kite-runner-by-khaled-hosseini/readers-guide/
Themes, plot, discussion questions, and kite tournament context.
An interview with Khaled Hosseini — https://www.bookbrowse.com/author_interviews/full/index.cfm/author_number/900/khaled-hosseini
Hosseini on Afghanistan, exile, war, and relationships.
An Afghan Story: Khaled Hosseini and Kite Runner — https://freshairarchive.org/segments/afghan-story-khaled-hosseini-and-kite-runner
Interview about Hosseini’s life and Afghanistan before invasion.
Kite Runner Author On His Childhood, His Writing, And The Plight Of Afghan Refugees — https://www.rferl.org/a/interview-kite-runner-afghan-emigre-writer-khaled-hosseini/24621078.html
Connects childhood in Kabul, refugees, and the novel’s emotional world.
GeekDad Interview: Khaled Hosseini, Author of The Kite Runner — https://www.wired.com/2011/09/geekdad-interview-khaled-hosseini-author-of-the-kite-runner
Origin story of the novel and kite-fighting inspiration.
Artistry In The Air: Kite Flying Is Taken To New Heights In Afghanistan — https://www.rferl.org/a/1101400.html
Background on Afghan kite-flying culture.
The Kite Runner — https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/all/the-kite-runner/
Review archive for themes of betrayal and redemption.
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - review — https://www.theguardian.com/childrens-books-site/2014/jul/30/review-khaled-hosseini-the-kite-runner
Reader review focused on Amir, Hassan, betrayal, and redemption.
Pilgrimages — https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/entertainment/books/2003/07/06/pilgrimages/b29cd26c-85a0-4ef0-af12-54c1333c2afa/
Review connecting Afghanistan’s upheaval with the intimate story.
If I could go back now, I’d take The Kite Runner apart — https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/01/khaled-hosseini-kite-runner-interview
Later author reflection on the novel and success.
Khaled Hosseini Shares Heartfelt Letter to Book Banners — https://pen.org/khaled-hosseini-shares-heartfelt-letter-to-book-banners/
Censorship context and Hosseini’s response.
Dear Librarians: A Letter from Khaled Hosseini — https://penguinrandomhouselibrary.com/2023/09/26/dear-librarians-a-letter-from-khaled-hosseini-author-of-the-kite-runner/
Hosseini on empathy, Afghan culture, and students.
Most Challenged Books — https://www.ala.org/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks/top10
Context for the novel’s censorship challenges.
Banned Spotlight: The Kite Runner — https://bannedbooksweek.org/banned-spotlight-the-kite-runner/
Concise history of challenges to the book.
Author Khaled Hosseini on book bans in the US — https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/13/khaled-hosseini-us-book-bans-interview
Current interview on book bans and empathy.
Adapting The Kite Runner: An Interview with Marc Forster — https://www.cineaste.com/winter2007/adapting-the-kite-runner-an-interview-with-marc-forster
Film adaptation and cultural context.
You should come home. There is a way to be good again. — https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-kite-runner-2007
Film review tracking the novel’s moral structure.
The Kite Runner Official Broadway Site — https://thekiterunnerbroadway.com/
Stage adaptation summary and themes.
An Iranian Actor’s Journey to Broadway — https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/01/an-iranian-actors-journey-to-broadway
Broadway adaptation, immigration, exile, and identity.

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