And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini

The Kite Runner was an immediate hit for Hosseini and this book continues his exploration of Afghanistan and its culture - just be prepared for a few tears

So, then.You want a story and I will tell you one...Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Each night the siblings sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled. When their father takes them to Kabul one day, an event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand.

And the Mountains Echoed opens with a fable told by Badoor to his two children. Sadly, the fable then reflects the reality of what goes on to happen to them and it is a story the tugs at the heartstrings.

It may not have the same punch that Hosseini’s two other novels The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns had in their depiction of Afghanistan, but the repercussions of what the country goes through over the ensuing 60 years, echo throughout the book as each character’s story is revealed to bring the tragic consequences of Abdullah and Pari’s separation full circle.

Hosseini’s prose is a joy to read and this book does not disappoint. Just make sure you have some tissues to hand.