The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

“For you, a thousand times over.”

As I write this, I realise that my reasoning for having never reread this book was that it was simply too wrecking to revisit. Years on, specific plotlines have faded from memory; nonetheless, I can say with certainty what an utterly gut-wrenching and wonderful piece of work this is. My Nana (who has never been too fond of reading and, before this, hadn't finished a book in years) tore through it in just a week.

The Kite Runner easily cemented my adoration for Hosseini’s work, particularly for his acute command of characterisation. In much the same way as A Thousand Splendid Suns, Hosseini’s Kite Runner rapidly tethered me to fictional characters whom I repeatedly had to remind myself did not, in fact, exist. When first reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, I had initially wondered whether my strong emotional investment was due to the characters being women and existing in circumstances that were specific to the female experience. Now, in reading The Kite Runner, I realise that my emotional affections were owed solely to Hosseini’s enchanting literary skill.

Touching, transformative, and truly haunting.