Khaled Hosseini: And the Mountains Echoed

After reading The Kite Runner a couple of years ago, I have really found a love for Khaled Hosseini and have been dying to dive into some of his other books. I have had a fascination with the Middle East since I studied it in college, so I've loved these novels.

And the Mountains Echoed is a gorgeously written novel flowing through a multi-generational story of a villager from Shadbagh, Afghanistan. Each section of this novel is told through the perspective of a different character - first from Abdullah and last from his daughter Pari. Abdullah describes traveling to Kabul with his father, Saboor, and sister, Pari (who his daughter is eventually named after) where Pari is left with the wealthy Wahdatis to be raised. Pari never truly knows the truth about her former family until she is an adult when she is contacted by Markos Varvaris, a Greek doctor doing humanitarian work in Kabul. Markos rented the home in Kabul that once belonged to Mr. Wahdati. Markos received a letter from Mr. Wahdati's chauffeur, Nabi (Pari's true uncle), explaining everything. Markos tracks Pari down in Paris, France where she begins to draw the connections of her past.

This story is complex simply because it is really several stories all in one book, making it difficult to summarize. However, this book was beautifully written. Each character's unique and distinct voice is engaging, some more than others. Perhaps it was just the audiobook, but I struggled with some of the stories - and this is probably my only real criticism of the novel. Ultimately, Nabi's story and Aunt Pari's and niece Pari's stories were the most intriguing. Hosseini includes beautiful detail, and he's not afraid to point out the gruesome, ugly side of the wars that have torn Afghanistan apart. This novel is truly a work of art, and probably one of my favorite books ever.

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Markus Zusak: The Book Thief

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Anthony Doerr - All the Light We Cannot See

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