September 2007 The Kite Runner. by Khaled Hosseini. This book was a departure for our book club as it is a work of fiction, very good fiction, but fiction nonetheless. My wife and I read this book on our recent summer vacation, at the recommendation of many friends and relatives. She began reading it as we left Dallas driving west. She handed it to me when we got to Phoenix. I rifled through it in about 36 hours which is not my normal reading pace. I found the book so compelling that I could not put it down. I think it is an appropriate choice for a history book club because it gives a non-American perspective on a part of the world (Afghanistan) to which we as Americans are exposed every day on the news. The book describes the transformation of Afghanistan from the pre-Soviet Invasion days through 2001 and the Taliban through the eyes of a boy growing up through that transformation. The book also gives detail about the Afghan diaspora in the US. As we discussed in the book club, what was missing from the story was what was going on in rural Afghanistan during the time period of the book. But, it is not a history book but a novel. As a novel, the character development is supurb and complex. I particular liked the character of Baba, the protagonist's father, and his slow, steady decline, like a fish thrown up on the shore, when he had to leave his native land and come to America. Here's a link to what others are saying about this book:B/N reviews Here's a link to the author's website Back to reading list