Kite Runner

I just finished my second book about Afghanistan, this time fiction. I love a novel like this one that just flows effortlessly. Where you don't feel like you're reading, but the plot just unfolds in front of you. It's a great story about complex family relationships, personal redemption, social distinctions, political turmoil, and new beginnings.

The motivation for reading this book was to learn more about Afghanistan. It was interesting to read this one right after Stewart's Places in Between because you could see the overlapping themes about life in Afghanistan presented in two different ways. The religious and ethnic divisions and tenuous political allegiances are key to understanding modern Afghanistan. You can't escape the destruction, sadness, and the sheer human cruelty ... and yet there is also something resilient about the Afghans.

Unfortunately, after reading these books I don't feel too optimistic about the future of that country, especially given the recent Taliban resurgency and continuing economic depression. Americans have a responsibility to rebuild what we helped destroy, yet our attention spans are short and our self-interest is great, so I think history will judge us harshly on this matter.