The Kite Runner is the story of Amir, a young boy who is navigating the trials and tribulations of growing up in Kabul, Afghanistan, alongside his best friend, Hassan, his father, Baba,and Baba’s servant and friend, Ali. When a local bully assaults Hassan during a kite running fight, Amir doesn’t step up and help him or tell anyone, and it haunts him for the rest of his life. The story follows Amir in adult life as he gets a chance to revisit Kabul and make things right in unexpected ways. Hosseini takes readers on a journey of self growth, redemption, and raw human emotion in this historical fiction masterpiece. I love this novel for so many reasons. Amir’s story teaches readers a lesson about bettering themselves, and how it is always possible to be good again. Hassan’s character truly demonstrates unconditional love and loyalty, and his innocent and positive outlook on the world is something all readers can take comfort in. Readers can also learn a lot about the culture and history of Kabul in this time period, as well as addressing some human rights issues in which readers are presented with some internal, deep questions about themselves and the world they live in. Overall, it’s a beautiful novel that comes around full circle, has a positive but realistic ending, and leaves a lasting impression. I would recommend it to anyone that likes historical fiction and inspiring stories, with a fair warning that there is a lot of mature subject matter, violence, and situations that deal with sexual assault, which some readers may find triggering.