By Don Jordan
The State News
Khaled Hosseini describes the writing of his book, "The Kite Runner," as an "act of resurrecting the dead."
The Afghan doctor and author used his own childhood experiences of growing up in Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, to craft the novel, which chronicles the life of an Afghan boy alongside the history and politics of his country.
The best-selling book is being used in the One Book, One Community program, which urges MSU freshman and East Lansing residents to read the book and then discuss it at various events throughout August and September.
Hosseini was born in Kabul in 1965, but moved to France in 1976 after his diplomat father was assigned to the Afghan embassy in Paris. Hosseini's family planned to return to Afghanistan in 1980, but after the country was overthrown in a communist coup, Hosseini's father immediately applied for political asylum in the United States.
Hosseini never returned to his war-torn country until 2003. The peaceful, but poor country, he remembered as a child was now rubble.
It had gained international notoriety with the media advent of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, he said.
"The Kite Runner" has held a spot on The New York Times bestseller list for 50 weeks.
The State News sat down with Hosseini to discuss his book.
The State News: What is your reaction to all of the success your book has received?
Khaled Hosseini: It's surpassed all of my hopes. The first novel - you just hope your cousins would read it. Wherever I've gone, it's been a very positive experience. Wherever I go, there is always a relationship there with the reader before I get there.
SN: Why do you think the book has had so much success?
KH: There are a few levels to the book. There is the whole cultural element of it. People hear about Afghanistan in the news. Then there are the politics of it. The themes are things that people really identify with. They are very human things.
SN: What kind of reaction have you received from people since the book was published?
KH: 'Oh, I can't put it down.' 'I haven't heard anything about Afghanistan until I read this book.' People say that they feel very connected to me.
SN: Does that bother you? Are you comfortable with that kind of attention?
KH: What's the point of publishing if you don't want to be affected. You want the readers to be jolted.
SN: Were you ever tempted to write a nonfiction account of your life, instead of a fictional novel based on your experiences?
KH: No. That sounds really awful to me. As soon as you start writing a memoir, you're restricted.
SN: What is your new book about? When will it be published?
KH: Hopefully by next fall. It's the story of two women who are brought together by circumstance, fate and customs. This new book - the whole thing is in Afghanistan.
SN: Will it deal with some of the same topics and issues?
KH: Yes. I'm interested in people's frailties and their mixed natures - both the good and the evil.
SN: Have you faced any discrimination in the United States since Sept. 11 because you are an Afghan man?
KH: Never. Quite the opposite. I got so many calls saying, 'I hope nobody is bothering you.' People were great. Sometimes at the airport there is a little delay, but I don't mind that.
SN: What do you think college students, in particular, can take away from "The Kite Runner?"
KH: It brings home a slice of a place that probably students never give a lot of thought to. You may find yourself more aware. Even the lack of apathy, to me, is a big thing.
