The Author of Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini, was in town for book signing and I went to see him. He read a portion of his second novel and answered some questions. I was surprised to see how young he was and how funny he was!Where Kite Runner was mostly about men's story in pre and post Taliban era in Afghanistan, his second novel is about Afghani women and motherhood.
The cruelty that Afghani women, specially widowed women, have experienced during Taliban era is so inhuman, which many Western readers find it hard to believe that women can endure so much brutality and injustice under religious laws. Even though both books are sad stories but the second one does have an uplifting ending with full of hopes for future of Afghanistan. Here is how the book ends with this poem by famous Persian poet, Hafez:Joseph shall return to Canaan, grieve not,
Hovel's shall turn to rose gardens, grieve not.
If a flood should arrive, to drown all that's alive,
Noah is your guide in the typhoon's eye, grieve not.
What a great author to represent the new Afghanistan. He also talked about his role at UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) and wanted people to get involved. So here is the link.
Oh! and if you don't have the time to read, don't worry, the Kite Runner movie will be released in Fall of 2007. Link.
