As a young boy growing up in pre-Soviet Afghanistan, Amir befriends his servants son, Hassan. Occupying polar ends of Kabuls social hierarchy, the two boys nevertheless play together and defend each other against neighbourhood bullies. However, during Kabuls annual kite-fighting tournament in the winter of 1975, Amir takes advantage of Hassans guileless devotion and commits a terrible act of betrayal against him. The Kite Runner takes listeners on a psychological and spiritual journey with Amir as he becomes a man forced to face the far-reaching, tragic consequences of his disloyalty. Set amidst a culture and a country that existed before the Soviets, before the Taleban, before al Qaeda, and before the US invasion, The Kite Runner is an enthralling and totally absorbing story about fathers and sons, sin and atonement, injustice and the human yearning for redemption.