Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini is a famous writter who was born in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 4th, 1965. His father was an Afghan diplomat who worked at the Afghan Foreign Ministry and his mother, a high school teacher taught Farsi and History in a large Kabul school. The family  sought political asylum in the United States due to the terrible conditions in Afghanistan after the invasion of the Soviet army in 1980. Khaled graduated with Bachelors in Biology and he attended the University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine where he completed his M.D. in 1993.

In March 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner. Published by Riverhead Books in 2003, that debut went on to become an international bestseller and beloved classic, spending more than a hundred weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. In May 2007, his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, also debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. Together, the two books have sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. The Kite Runner was adapted into a graphic novel of the same name in 2011. Hosseini’s much-awaited third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, has been published on May 21, 2013.

Hosseini’s devotion to his homeland extends beyond his writings. His activism for a better Afghanistan is proof of his love for the country. Since 2006, Hosseini has served as a goodwill ambassador to the United Nations Refugee Agency, UNHCR. In addition, he created The Khaled Hosseini Foundation which provides humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan.

I have chosen this writter because I have read all his books and they all are amazing, but specially The Kite Runner which is my favorite book, I must say that it made me cry. It was one of the very few books that actually kept me gripped until the end. It opened up my eyes to the harsh realities of what life can be in Afghanistan. I believe this book is a must-sead, regardless of age, gender, or nationality. It delivers a univeral message that would move even the coldest heart. It is also a perfect example of father-son relationships and friendships.