1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Khaled Hosseini's book The Kite Runner is set in Afghanistan during a time of great turmoil and change. It explores themes like friendship, betrayal, guilt, and seeking forgiveness.
The story follows two main characters: Hassan, who is the son of Ali, a servant in Baba's home, and belongs to the Hazara community, which has faced a lot of discrimination.
Amir is a wealthy boy from Kabul who grows up along with Hassan.
The story begins in the 1970s in Kabul, as Afghanistan faces political change.
The country's king is overthrown, and it becomes unstable because of war, the Soviet invasion, and the rise of the Taliban. The setting then moves to the United States.
As they grow up, Amir and Hassan become close friends.
However, Amir feels jealous of the special bond his father, Baba, has with Hassan.When Amir wins a kite-fighting competition, Hassan shows his loyalty by going out to get the last kite for him. During this time, an older man named Assef attacks and rapes Hassan, and Amir watches in fear but does nothing to help.
Feeling guilty, Amir starts to distance himself from Hassan.
Hassan and his father Ali leave Baba's house because they are wrongly accused of stealing.
Baba and Amir flee Afghanistan when the country becomes too dangerous.
They move to California, where Amir marries Soraya and starts going to college. Many years later, Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan, an old friend of his father's. Rahim tells him some shocking truths: Hassan was actually Amir's half-brother, and Hassan and his wife were killed by the Taliban. Their son, Sohrab, is the only survivor
Amir goes back to Afghanistan, now under Taliban control, in a desperate attempt to find peace and to save Sohrab. The novel ends with Amir and Sohrab finding hope and a new beginning as they fly kites together, echoing Hassan’s devotion years before.
Amir wants to make up for the harm he caused Hassan by betraying him.
He feels guilty and is trying to do something to fix his mistake.
Family and Loyalty: The story explores complex familial relationships, secrets, and what it means to be loyal.
Ethnicity and Social Class: Hazara-Pashtun relations, prejudice, and social divisions in Afghanistan underpin the characters’ struggles.
Author - Khaled Hosseini
Publish - may 29, 2003 by Riverhead Books
Language - English
Page - 37
2.White Night by fyodor Dostoevsky
"White Nights" by Fyodor Dostoevsky is a poignant novella set in St. Petersburg during the ethereal midsummer "white nights" when the city never fully darkens. The story centers on a lonely, unnamed narrator, referred to as the Dreamer, whose life is marked by deep isolation and rich fantasy. Over the course of four nights and a morning, the Dreamer encounters a young woman named Nastenka, who is troubled and weeping alone.
Moved by her distress, he offers comfort and companionship, and they quickly develop an intimate, though platonic, bond. During their nightly meetings, both share their personal stories: the Dreamer confides his loneliness and yearning for connection, while Nastenka reveals her love for another man who left but promised to return. Despite his growing affection for her, the Dreamer supports Nastenka's hope for her lover’s return.
On the fourth night, the Dreamer, overwhelmed by emotion, confesses his love for Nastenka. She is momentarily unsure but soon reunites with her long-lost lover, leaving the Dreamer heartbroken and alone once more. The following morning, Nastenka writes a letter thanking him for his kindness and friendship, and shares that she will soon marry her lover. The story ends bittersweetly: the Dreamer, though left alone, remains grateful for the fleeting happiness and warmth he experienced during those magical white nights. Dostoevsky's narrative delves deeply into themes of unrequited love, loneliness, escapism, and the search for connection, using the city’s luminous nights as a metaphor for heightened emotional states and the ephemeral nature of bliss.
Short story by Fyodor Dostoevsky
Publish - 1848
Page - 57
Publication in English - 1918
3."A House Without Windows" by Nadia Hashimi
"A House Without Windows" is a powerful, emotionally charged novel set in post-Taliban Afghanistan. It tells the story of Zeba, a middle-aged, devoted wife and mother whose life is shattered when her husband, Kamal, is found brutally murdered in the courtyard of their home. Zeba, found at the bloody scene and nearly catatonic from shock, cannot explain her whereabouts during the crime.
Her children vow that she could not be the killer, but her husband’s family and the rest of the local community quickly presume her guilt, demanding justice. Zeba narrowly escapes a vengeful mob and is arrested, landing her in Chil Mahtab, a women’s prison sometimes considered more fortress than punishment.
Life in Prison: Sisterhood and Survival
While Zeba awaits trial, she meets other women imprisoned for various reasons—often due to unjust laws or simply because they broke rigid social codes. These include:
Nafisa, jailed to protect her from an “honor killing”
Latifa, a runaway using prison as a refuge
Mezghan, pregnant and unmarried
For many of these women, the prison is paradoxically both a haven from violence and a reminder of their powerlessness. Inside its walls, the women form a “lively and indelible sisterhood,” showing the resilience and solidarity of those enduring injustice together.
The Afghan Justice System and Zeba’s Lawyer
The novel also follows Yusuf, Zeba’s Afghan-born, American-trained lawyer who returns to his homeland hoping to make a difference. He is challenged as he uncovers the complexity of Zeba’s case and Afghanistan’s patriarchal justice system—where tradition and corruption often stand in the way of true justice, especially for women.
"A House Without Windows" is ultimately a tale of pain, dignity, and hope, illuminating the plight of women and the search for justice in traditional cultures.
Author - Nadia Hashimi
Language - English
Publish - august 16, 2016
Pages - 415
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