Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini (born March 4, 1965) is an Afghan-American novelist and physician. He is best known for his novels The Kite Runner (2003), A Thousand Splendid Suns (2007), And the Mountains Echoed (2013), and Sea Prayer (2018). His novels have been translated into more than 70 languages and have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide.

Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan. His father was a diplomat and his mother was a teacher. He has two sisters. Hosseini's family left Afghanistan in 1976, when he was 11 years old, during the Soviet-Afghan War. They moved to Paris, France, and then to San Jose, California.

Hosseini attended Santa Clara University, where he majored in biology. He then attended the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, where he earned his medical degree in 1993. Hosseini worked as a physician for several years before turning to writing full-time.

Hosseini's first novel, The Kite Runner, was published in 2003. The novel tells the story of a young Afghan boy named Amir who is forced to flee his home in Kabul with his father during the Soviet-Afghan War. Amir and his father eventually settle in the United States, but Amir is haunted by his past. The Kite Runner was a critical and commercial success, and it was adapted into a major motion picture in 2007.

Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, was published in 2007. The novel tells the story of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila, who are forced to live together in a polygamous marriage. Mariam and Laila eventually become friends, and they help each other to survive the hardships of life in Afghanistan. A Thousand Splendid Suns was also a critical and commercial success, and it was adapted into a major motion picture in 2008.

Hosseini's third novel, And the Mountains Echoed, was published in 2013. The novel tells the story of a family of Afghan immigrants living in the United States. The novel follows the family through several generations, and it explores the themes of love, loss, and family. And the Mountains Echoed was a critical and commercial success.

Hosseini's fourth novel, Sea Prayer, was published in 2018. The novel tells the story of a Syrian refugee father who is separated from his family during the Syrian Civil War. The novel is written in the form of a letter from the father to his son. Sea Prayer was a critical and commercial success.

Hosseini has received numerous awards for his writing, including the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He has also been named a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Hosseini is a vocal advocate for human rights, and he has spoken out against the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. He has also written extensively about the plight of Afghan refugees.

Hosseini is married to Roya Hosseini, a physician. They have two children.