Amir has a troubled childhood growing up in pre-civil war Afghanistan. His mother died in childbirth, his relationship with his father Baba is stilted, and his closest friend Hassan is the hare-lipped son of the family servant, Ali. Amir does not understand the fondness that Baba shows for Hassan, a fondness that results in Baba paying for plastic surgery to fix his cleft palate on his twelfth birthday.
Amir and Hassan are taunted by Assef, a sociopathic bully from a respected Afghan family. At a critical encounter, Hassan rescues Amir from harm by threatening to shoot out Assef's eye with a slingshot. Assef and his buddies back down, vowing revenge against Hassan.
One of the highlights of Amir's childhood is the annual kite fighting competitions which marks the start of winter in Kabul. Amir is a master kite fighter, and Hassan is an uncannily talented kite runner, someone who chases fallen kites to be displayed as trophies.
At the age of twelve Amir finally garners his......
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Approximate Word Count: 836
Approximate Pages: 4 (260 words per double-spaced page) |