In two recent novels, The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Khaled Hosseini gives us an intimate glimpse into the recent history of the Afghan people. He give us an accurate time line filled with fictional characters rich with complex relationships and challenges. THE KITE RUNNER is now a movie and should help us in the West have a better understanding of the rich heritage and culture. Both probe serious themes but always mix tragedy with hope and joy. It is so amazing to be reminded that children learn to play in a war zone of pain and death.