Product Description

In Search of the Kite Runner looks at the basic themes that make The Kite Runner (Riverhead Books, 2003) such a fascinating and thought-provoking story. Written from a Christian perspective, In Search of the Kite Runner begins with the rudiments of Islamic faith and the Islam of Afghanistan. Hayes brings to light the complexities of interpersonal and intrafamily relationships and examines the impact that power, guilt, and the quest for forgiveness and redemption can have on our lives

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #107705 in Books
• Published on: 2007-03-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 104 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780827230293
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From the Publisher
Until the events of September 11, 2001, few Americans knew little, if anything, about the cultural, political, and socio- economic state of Afghanistan or the lives of its people. Islam was a strange religion far removed from western civilizations. The Taliban was some fundamentalist group occasionally mentioned on the evening news. After September 11 the world became a little smaller. Americans became acutely aware of how events in the Persian Gulf could directly affect their personal lives. Suddenly Islam became associated with jihad--an Islamic holy war against Westerners and Christians--and Muslims who had been neighbors were being watched with a suspicious eye.

We see a different side of Afghanistan and its people in Khaled Hosseini's best-selling novel The Kite Runner (Riverhead Books, 2003). Hosseini shows us an Afghanistan rich in tradition and culture and an Afghanistan torn apart by war and political strife. We also see Muslims who are not so different from Christians or Jews.

In Search of the Kite Runner looks at the basic themes that make The Kite Runner such a fascinating and thought-provoking story and that make it personal for anyone who has ever wished for a chance to do something over. It begins with a look at the rudiments of Islamic faith and the Islam of Afghanistan and how it has given identity throughout history to the Afghan people. The author likens the struggles of The Kite Runner's characters and those of other literary figures to the struggles and stories of biblical patriarchs. She brings to light the complexities of interpersonal and intrafamily relationships and examines the impact that power, guilt, and the quest for forgiveness and redemption can have on our lives. Exploring both the individual and the collective basis for doing good, Hayes probes our perceptions about what it means to be religious and what it means to be human.

Written for Christians, In Search of the Kite Runner provides a basic introduction to Islam, Pashtuns and Hazaras, Sunni and Shia Muslims, as well as the human factors that motivate our actions and define who we are.

About the Author
Judi Hayes is a veteran editor and writer with years of experience at LifeWay Christian Resources. As a freelance editor, she has worked with many Christian and secular organizations to produce curriculum, popular magazines, and books. Hayes is a member of Mensa and served for ten years on the executive counsel of The Elephant Sanctuary in Hohenwald, Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Followup to the actual novel for discussion groups
This book was interesting and would have been better if I was involved with a discussion group about the actual novel The Kite Runner, and how the people from Pakistan must have felt when the Taliban came in. I purchased the book thinking it was a follow-up to the novel, and not a tool for discussion, so was not exactly what I was expecting.

Kite Runner's Connections to Other Great Literature
Reading Hosseini's Kite Runner inspires both an emotional and spiritual response. Author Judi Hayes explores these reponses in her book by bringing in connections to other great "coming of age" literature. She also provides clear insight into the different paths people take in developing a spiritual nature and how some of these paths are reflected in Hosseini's novel.

Popular insights
Not really what I thought it would be, not really needed after reading The Kite Runner unless you're doing a bit of research.