And the Mountains Echoed

by Khaled Hosseini

Discussion Questions 1. And the Mountains Echoed introduces us to Saboor and his children, Abdullah and Pari, and the shocking, heartbreaking event that divides them. From there, the book branches off to include multiple other characters and storylines before circling back to Abdullah and Pari. How does each of the other characters relate back to the original story? What themes is the author exploring by having these stories counterpoint one another? 2. The novel begins with an extraordinary sacrifice that has ramifications for generations. What do you think of the decision Saboor makes? How are Nila and Nabi implicated in it? What do you think of their motives? Whom do you think has the best intentions of these three adults? Ultimately, do you think Pari would have had a happier life if she had stayed with her birth family? 3. Think of other sacrifices that are made throughout the book. Are there certain choices that are easier than others? Is Saboor’s sacrifice of Pari easier or more difficult than Parwana’s sacrifice of her sister? How are they similar and how are they different? Who else makes sacrifices in the book? What do you think the author is saying about the nature of the decisions we make in our lives and the ways in which they affect others? 4. “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, / there is a field. / I’ll meet you there.” The author chose this thirteenth-century Rumi poem as the epigraph for the book. Discuss the novel in light of this poem. What ...