The Kite Runner

by Khaled Hosseini

‘Because I’m so profoundly happy, Dr. Rasul. Happiness like this is frightening.’ I asked her why and she said, ‘They only let you be this happy if they’re preparing to take something from you,’ and I said, ‘Hush up, now. Enough of this silliness.’”

“Take two Afghans who’ve never met, put them in a room for ten minutes, and they’ll figure out how they’re related.”

There are a lot of children in Afghanistan, but little childhood.

“No,” I said. “I think he was ashamed of himself.” He picked up his sandwich and nibbled at it silently.

certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty.