And the Mountains Echoed

So, then. You want a story and I will tell you one... Afghanistan, 1952. Abdullah and his sister Pari live with their father and stepmother in the small village of Shadbagh. Their father, Saboor, is constantly in search of work and they struggle together through poverty and brutal winters. To Abdullah, Pari - as beautiful and sweet-natured as the fairy for which she was named - is everything. More like a parent than a brother, Abdullah will do anything for her, even trading his only pair of shoes for a feather for her treasured collection. Each night they sleep together in their cot, their heads touching, their limbs tangled. One day the siblings journey across the desert to Kabul with their father. Pari and Abdullah have no sense of the fate that awaits them there, for the event which unfolds will tear their lives apart; sometimes a finger must be cut to save the hand. Crossing generations and continents, moving from Kabul, to Paris, to San Francisco, to the Greek island of Tinos, with profound wisdom, depth, insight and compassion, Khaled Hosseini writes about the bonds that define us and shape our lives, the ways in which we help our loved ones in need, how the choices we make resonate through history and how we are often surprised by the people closest to us.

Review: A story of love, separation, friendship, compassion, exile, memory and the troubled history of Afghanistan, spanning three continents and 60 years... Hosseini is a master storyteller and his characters brim with life... This novel will not disappoint his many admirers -- Paul Dunn * The Times *

Hosseini's evocative tales don't just capture hearts, they break them * Glamour *

I defy any critics less high-minded than, say, F.R. Leavis not to enjoy the sheer zest with which Hosseini goes about his business here - or admire the unhurried confidence with which he sweeps through the years. And if they do admit that resistance is futile and allow their heartstrings to be shamelessly tugged, they might spot something else as well: in its admittedly unsubtle way, the novel gives a thorough airing to the central question of whether it's better to stay true to your roots or rise above them ... Let's face it, Hosseini is a master storyteller -- James Walton * Spectator *

Fascinating and moving * Stylist *

A profoundly moving story of how families love, betray, honour and make sacrifices for each other * Woman & Home *

Yes, there will be tears * InStyle *

Heart warming and beautiful * Essentials *

Clever and moving * Easy Living *

Hosseini pulls off his usual - impressive - trick of breaking your heart and leaving you smiling -- Helen Brown * Daily Telegraph *

Tremendously moving -- Omid Djalili * Daily Express *

Touching and epic * Sunday Telegraph *

A worthy successor ... Part of Hosseini's effectiveness as a storyteller is the way he draws on universal signifiers of myth and symbol ... In mining such truths about human experience, Hosseini digs deep and brings up diamonds -- Rachel Hore * Independent on Sunday *

A touching story of love across time and continents * Sunday Express *

Takes you on an irresistible treasure trail of stories from Kabul to Paris, via San Francisco and the Greek island of Tinos ... Hosseini's characters are beautifully drawn ... For a novel that will change how you judge yourself and others, it has to be Hosseini -- Sarah Pyper * Stylist *

I was looking forward to sinking into the lush narrative of Khaled Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed ... Hosseini's book is an absorbing read. His characters are nuanced and their overlapping narratives stay with you. It's a heartbreaking and beautifully told story of sibling love and loss -- Emma Rion * Stylist *

The key to Hosseini's story-telling is to keep us constantly guessing ... Hosseini has a gift for lyrical description, but the chief merit of his style is a simplicity that allows him to go straight to the heart. He has written a magnificent, compassionate, life-affirming novel -- Anthony Gardner * Mail on Sunday *