The Kite Runner is a novel by Khaled Hosseini written in 2003. Set against the backdrop of the Soviet-Afghan War and the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, it is a story about friendship, betrayal, and redemption.
On the surface, The Kite Runner is a coming-of-age story about a boy named Amir. It tells the story of his childhood, growing up in Afghanistan, and how he struggles to reconcile his love for his close friend Hassan with his shame over not standing up for him when Hassan is raped.
There are many thematic elements to The Kite Runner, but one of the most important is redemption. Throughout much of the novel, Amir feels that he needs to redeem himself for what he did to Hassan. He does this in a number of ways throughout the novel, but one of the most significant is when he returns to Afghanistan years later and rescues Hassan’s son Sohrab from a warlord who has been holding him captive. This act brings him peace with his past and allows him to move on with his life.
