I got this book at our annual play group Christmas book exchange. It has been very strongly recommended to me by my mother and another very good reader friend, both of whom I trust completely, so I am going to start it tonight. I can't wait!

Oh my gosh - what an AMAZING book. I cannot recommend it enough. It is totally astonishing that this is this author's first fiction.

This is the story of Amir, a privileged young boy growing up in Afganistan, and his friend/servant Hassan. While reading, you learn so much about Afganistan - the political changes that made it the place it is today. But, as with all true art, you learn about human nature. Amir is a very real person - full of love and hope, but also of fear and cowardice. Parts of this book are excruciating to read - the violence that rocked this country is terrible. But I cannot get these characters out of my mind.

I am going to set this one aside for a BC meetup, unless someone claims it first.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sent to Judester in trade for "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter." Enjoy!

thank you, thank you ... for this book! I can't wait to begin to read it. My entire community is reading it this year and I'm hoping to talk my book group into selecting it THIS month instead of waiting! Recv'd 1/29/05 in the mail.