And the Mountains Echoed: a novel by the bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns

And the Mountains Echoed - Khaled Hosseini In Afghanistan in the mid-1940s, a father tells his young children a bedtime story. The next day, they depart for Kabul, setting in motion a series of events that will change their lives - and those of their descendants.

While war and politics are heavily featured, this is ultimately a portrait of an Afghan family from the 1940s to the 21st century. Each chapter tells the story of one of the family members, and though many of them live in America or Europe, the heart of both the story and the characters is rooted firmly in Afghanistan. These separate narratives are brought together by a common link, showing that this newly globalized world truly is a small one after all.

And The Mountains Echoed reminds us that the choices we make do not only affect us, but impact those around us as well. It critically examines familial relationships, touching on love, loss, grief, and sacrifice. Most of all, it shows how unpredictable life is: filled with sadness and misunderstanding, love, joy, and hope.

This review can also be found at The In-Between Place.