And the Mountains Echoed

I first read a Khaled Hosseini novel last year, The Kite Runner. It was strongly recommended to me by a friend. She agreed to lend me her then newly-bought copy, as she had read it before, which gave me the impression that the story must be really good if you would insist on letting me borrow a book you haven't smelled yet. I was intrigued enough. And she was not wrong. The Kite Runner had such a perfectly written story. It was about a young boy from Kabul, Amir, and his friendship with his father's young Hazara servant, Hassan. Emotionally gripping. And his third and latest book, And The Mountains Echoed was just as brilliant.


And the Mountains Echoed (2013)
by Khaled Hosseini

And The Mountains Echoed is told in the perspective of the several characters in the book whom lives intertwined because of the separation of siblings, Abdullah and Pari. Introduced in the novel as well, were Parwana—the children's stepmother—and her disabled sister Masooma; Iqbal, their stepbrother; Nabi, the children's step-uncle, and caretaker of House Wahdati; Markos, a volunteer plastic surgeon; and an Afghan-American doctor Idris, and his cousin Timur.

With themes of loss, guilt, betrayal, regret, and redemption; the stories of every character are equally engaging and haunting. All share tales of joy and sufferings; and the bonds that bind and break families. Each chapter takes you on a journey of emotional whirlwind from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek Island of Tinos. Each affecting another, from parents to children, brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers. It concludes a beautiful beginning, still with traces of pain, but with hint of serenity.

I know now that some people feel unhappiness the way others love: privately, intensely, and without recourse.

Another tragic story that proves to be among the most heartwarming tales about family and life. Hosseini ventures deep into family relationships and all it entails; from loyalty and duty to betrayal and burden the blood endures. All these, while [once again] opening the readers' eyes to a tad of Afghanistan's history and poverty. And he writes them marvelously. With every page, never failing to tear a heart. Readers grasp the pain in the cruelest way imaginable. The details he put into every story of the characters are simply astounding. I cannot stress enough how great of a storyteller Hosseini is. His books always exceed expectations. Careful now though, if you have not read his novels yet, it is not for the faint of heart. But his books are truly a must read.

(c)