Bettie's Books

bookshelves: published-2002, re-visit-2014, radio-4x, paper-read, lit-richer, lifestyles-deathstyles, afghanistan, contemporary

Re-visit via R4x

Kulvinder Ghir reads Khaled Hosseini's 2003 international bestseller which transferred to the cinema in 2007.

1. Amir spends his childhood in Kabul, playing in the garden with Hassan, the son of the Hazara servant. Together they climb the hill to the pomegranate tree and read stories in its shade, or go fly kites in the streets. But this is 1970s Afghanistan before the Russian tanks rolled in and before the day of the kite fighting tournament, the day that changed Amir's life forever.

2. A coup in Kabul ends the monarchy in Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini's story of a childhood friendship, read by Kulvinder Ghir.

3. After the Kabul kite flying tournament, Amir witnesses a disturbing event.

4. After his success in the Kabul kite tournament, Amir is consumed with guilt.

5. With Russian tanks in Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape Kabul to America.

6. Amir embraces America, but a call from Afghanistan stirs up painful memories.

7. Amir returns to Kabul to search for his friend's orphaned son.

8. In Kabul, Amir is forced to meet a powerful Talib for help with his search.

9. Amir is in Islamabad, having rescued his friend's son from the Taliban.

10. Help for a traumatised boy emerges high in the sky over a Californian park.