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Khaled Hosseini

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description Khaled Hosseini Overview

Khaled Hosseini is an Afghan-born American novelist and former physician whose fiction centers on Afghan society, family bonds, and the consequences of displacement. His debut, 'The Kite Runner' (2003), follows a friendship between two boys in Kabul before and during the Soviet invasion and became a global bestseller. He subsequently published 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' (2007) and 'And the Mountains Echoed' (2013). He has served as a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Refugee Agency.

help Khaled Hosseini FAQ

Is Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner based on a true story?

While the novel is set against the very real backdrop of Afghanistan's political turmoil and the fall of the monarchy, the specific story is entirely fictional. Khaled Hosseini, an Afghan-born author, did draw on his childhood memories of Kabul to shape the narrative.

What other books has Khaled Hosseini written?

Following the massive success of The Kite Runner in 2003, Hosseini published A Thousand Splendid Suns in 2007. He has since written other bestselling novels, including And the Mountains Echoed and Sea Prayer.

Is The Kite Runner author Khaled Hosseini a medical doctor?

Yes, before becoming a full-time novelist, Khaled Hosseini worked as a physician. He earned his medical degree from the University of California, San Diego, and practiced internal medicine for over a decade.

When did Khaled Hosseini move to the United States?

Hosseini moved to the United States in 1980 when he was 15 years old. His father, a diplomat, had relocated the family to Paris, and they subsequently sought political asylum in the US after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.