Afghanistan in the 1970s: Twelve-year-old Amir is desperate to win the local kite flying tournament and his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But neither of the boys can foresee what will happen to Hassan that afternoon, an event that is to shatter their lives. Author Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan and moved to the United States in 1980. His novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, are international bestsellers and have been published in 34 countries. Khaled Hosseini is an international phenomenon, with sales of more than twenty million copies worldwide. His novels have been selected for BBC Page Turners; The Kite Runner is an award winning bestseller, also an Academy Award-nominated film which grossed over $15 million at the US Box Office.