One of my recent reads was The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I have had many people recommend it to me, and I happened to purchase it for my wife several months ago. Hence, it was on my bookshelf and available. If you are looking for an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read, this is the one for you!
The Kite Runner is about an Afghan kid named Amir and his friend Hassan. Hassan, along with his father Ali, is a servant of Amir’s father Baba—which I believe is the general nickname like “dad” for Afghan culture. Despite the social norms, Amir and Hassan are like brothers from the beginning. However, after a pivotal moment in their friendship, everything falls apart. Amir eventually moves to the US, while Hassan and his father stay in Afghanistan—which goes through major political changes with the Taliban ultimately taking charge.
What I remember most about the book is the way it highlighted courage. Taking into account Aristotle’s Golden Mean, courage is the golden mean of bravery and cowardice. The difference between courage and bravery is, when it comes to courage, there is some good or principle that causes the person to act. This is epitomized by Hassan, but also displayed by Amir’s father Baba. Both of the characters put their well-beings on the line when it came to instances of justice. These scenes caused me to reflect on my life and my future and consider if I am ready to stand for truth and righteousness, despite what it may cost me.
The Kite Runner was a tremendous read. It was well-written and I found the characters intriguing. My rating is 4.3 out of 5. Disclaimer: there is a lot of tragedy, including sexual assault and suicide.