The Kite Runner

Khaled Hosseni is incredible. It was so refreshing to finally read something about the actual people of Afghanistan and not just its warlords. This is the story of Amir and the son of his family's servant, Hassan.
In addition to the breathtaking descriptions of Kabul, Hosseni tells a tale of unconditional friendship and the dangers of taking it for granted.
Amir's father is a wealthy businessman who befriended his father's servant as a child. As an adult, he brought that servant to live with and work for his family. Both men became fathers themselves within months of each other and raised their sons as brothers.
However, when he begins school, he is affected greatly by the taunts of other boys about his low-class brother from another mother. Giving into their influences, Amir betrays Hassans constant friendship, deeply scarring the relationship before he and his father flee Afghanistan during the Russian invasion.
Hosseini gives a chilling account of the plight of so many Afghan people migrating for their lives. He carries Amir and his father toward the safety of America and continues to tell their tale.
After many many years, Amir decides to return to his native Afghanistan and meets a handful of emotional difficulties.
This book is absolutely worth your time. Thouroughly researched and written with practically musical diction, it won't be easy to put down halfway through. In fact, I remember my math grade suffering considerably for the week or so it took me to get from cover to cover.