This is the first book by him that I have read. Incredibly powerful and intense. I couldn't put it down at times even though it was too disturbing to read. The plot twists are great too and you don't see them coming.
After reading this one you're going to need a lighthearted and funny book.
Can I recommend The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

Ooops-- forgot to mention that I have passed this on to a friend.
I'm sure he'll have lots to say about it.

I remember when the Taliban used artillery to destroy the giant Buddhas of Bamiyan. I thought that was just one more way for them to demonstrate their lack of souls; how they, unable to achieve anything of their own, destroy the human spirit that exists in others as a way of fooling themselves into thinking they've achieved something great.

A good story will have plot twists and character development. A great story will have all that, and not exist in a vacuum. This was a great story set against the background of the changes in Afghanistan. A son's yearning for his father's acceptance and how their relationship was poisoned by their sins and their guilt. Yet, in the background, were the struggles for power waged by small-minded men with access to great power. I thought the author did a great job of superimposing the story of individuals against the story of Afghanistan. One sentence referred to the destruction of the giant Buddhas and that summed-up the poverty of the Taliban's souls.

Great read. Thanks.