Community Read 2005

2005 Midcoast Community Read
The Kite Runner

The Midcoast's choice for the 2005 Community Read is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, the fourth Read sponsored by Friends groups at four Midcoast libraries: Curtis Memorial Library of Brunswick, Patten Free Library of Bath, Topsham Public Library and Wiscasset Public Library. The first three Community Reads -- To Kill a Mockingbird, 1984, and Endurance -- successfully drew the Midcoast community together, sparking lively discussion and debate. The Kite Runner promises a glimpse into an ancient land now inextricably bound up in the history of the United States.

Raised in relative luxury in 1960s’ Kabul, Amir struggles to find his place in a rigidly patriarchal and class-conscious society. A traditional Kite Running Festival provides a pivotal moment in Amir’s complicated relationship with his servant and friend Hassan. A betrayal sets in motion a heart-rending rift between the boys, as Afghanistan itself descends into chaos and war. Although Amir and his father flee Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, his struggles with questions of heritage, loyalty, friendship and redemption span the years of the mujahedeen insurgency, civil war, and rise and fall of the Taliban.