The Kite Runner - a book of highs and lows

"Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini took me on a trip through nightmares and hope not to mention a journey from Afghanistan to America and back again.

First time novelist Hosseini captured his readers like a pro. His story line was gripping, harrowing and at times disturbing. The book was difficult to put down, but at times the contrasts were so stark and devastating in war-torn Afghanistan that the book had to be set aside.

The reader cried for Hassan and then for Hassan's son and marveled at the ability to keep secrets that tore long-held beliefs to the core. The reader struggles to like Amir, his childish selfishness set into action a chain of events that nearly destroyed a young man's life, all because he was of a different ethnicity. In the end, love conquers bigotry and even the Taliban, but not without a grave price.

The book is worth the read. Have tissues handy and be prepared for sorrow, anger and disbelief of the glimpse you see into the Afghan life and the aftermath of Taliban control. The book isn't pretty, nor is it a happy ending, but it mirrors a life that many Americans are struggling to understand.