Blog #3

This summer I read the Kite Runner. Now, I was super surprised by the impact this book had on me and what a tremendously wonderful piece of work it is. It gave me a whole new perspective on middle-eastern, Afghan peoples. The book begins with two little boys, Amir (the son of a rich businessman) and his servant Hassan, growing up in Afghanistan together. They spend every day together, running their kites, reading books, and roaming the streets of the city of Kabul. But when the annual kite running match swings around, Amir stands by cowardly as Hassan is beaten an raped by bullies. After that, Amir avoids Hassan as much as possible because being near him causes too much guilt over the fact that he had not helped him when his friend needed him most. When Amir grows up he moves to the States and pushes the guilt over what he had done deep down inside, as he tries to lead a normal life. But his past continues to torture him, until one day several years later he is given a chance to return to Afghanistan and atone for his sins...

This book was extremely heartbreaking, exciting, and as I said earlier, it helped me put a face to the people living in the country. When I hear of the Muslim people, I now picture a nation suffering under Taliban and Muslim rule; they long for help and freedom, they experience life and loss, they have birthday parties and eat meals together. They are people just like us! It also showed me how much they welcome relief and protection from American soldiers, and how much their country needs help and deliverance. No longer does the Iraqi War seem like a distant pointless, never-ending battle, but an opportunity to help someone in need. I loved The Kite Runner!!!!!!!!!!! :)