Beyond the strife

The Kite Runner offers a new and refreshing look at ordinary family life in Afghanistan | Priya Abraham

The impact of Khaled Hosseini's Afghan bestselling novel, The Kite Runner, stretches beyond the massive 8 million copies it has sold worldwide. In its celluloid version (rated PG-13 for strong thematic material including the rape of a child, violence, and brief strong language), the story will do much to show ordinary family life in the Muslim world.

Hosseini's bittersweet story set in Kabul is still a fixture on bestseller lists since its 2003 release. For a country whose name sparks images of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, and endless war, the novel has become a beloved and refreshing look at Afghan culture beyond the strife.

The faithfully rendered film, opening Dec. 14, follows the childhood friendship between Amir, a boy from a well-to-do Kabul family, and his faithful servant Hassan. The motherless and artistic Amir struggles to please his formidable and athletic father Baba (Homayon Ershadi). His defining moment comes when, in an act of cowardice, he neglects to save the loyal Hassan from being raped by a neighborhood bully.