by Sun Meilan

Created on: May 04, 2008

In 1970s Kabul, Amir and Hassan are best friends; Amir is the first word that the slightly older Hassan spoke and the two grew up in each other's pockets. Yet Amir is the son of a wealthy man and a Pashtun, whereas Hassan is the son of his servant and a Hazara. As they grow up, the differences in their background threaten to separate them, especially when Amir's father seems to favour Hassan over Amir. However, they hold on to their friendship, Hassan always ready to support Amir in any times of trouble, until one day, when something dreadful happens to Hassan. Amir chooses to stand back, although it is within his abilities to help his friend. As a result, the friendship is doomed.

Many years later, after Amir and his father have settled in the US, Amir finds out something that shakes the very foundations of his beliefs and he is forced to return to Kabul, where he hopes he will be able to atone for his sins. Will he find Hassan again? Is redemption possible after all these years?

As so often happens with best-selling books, I put off reading this one, which was published back in 2005 simply because I hate to have certain expectations of a book, only to be disappointed. However, I do enjoy reading books about the Middle East and South and Central Asia, so it eventually crept to the top of my reading pile. With the space of three years, I had forgotten most of what I had been told about the book, so was able to look upon it with fresh eyes.

The story is told pretty much chronologically, although it does begin with a skip forward to the present. I loved the first part of the book, where the story of Amir and Hassan and their childhood is told. It really is compelling reading and I loved the descriptions of their surroundings - from pomegranate trees to swirling kite contests. I thought that Amir's feelings, as a young boy, were well-described too - I found it easy to understand why he behaved in the way that he did. Then Amir moves to America with his father. I enjoyed the descriptions of building a new life in a new country, but then found the book began to drag a little whilst Amir's studies and love life are being laid out. I didn't exactly want to give up, but I did begin to wonder if that was it.

Thankfully, things begin to pick up when Amir goes back to Kabul. The happenings from thereon come flying off the pages and I really couldn't read fast enough. Nothing happened quite as I was expecting, which is a great plus as far as I am concerned - I was constantly

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