The ravages of war

? An unbelievably human work of fiction. When the name Khaled Hosseini is brought up in conversation, it’s often followed by discussions of A Thousand Splendid Suns or The Kite Runner. The Afghan-American novelist’s third work of fiction, And the Mountains Echoed, isn’t the one he’s most recognized for, which is interesting, considering it's arguably his best.

You’re guaranteed to cry. And the Mountains Echoed evokes a certain kind of pain; one that is visceral, felt from the depths of the soul. It’s not your standard novel, and differs greatly from Al Hosseini’s first two literary endeavors. And the Mountains Echoed does not follow traditional linear storytelling. The reader is taken on a journey across the world, from Afghanistan to France, Greece, the US, and back to Afghanistan again.

With multiple narrators telling their stories across different decades, it’s up to the reader to pick up the pieces of Hosseini’s puzzle. The novel begins with 10-year-old Abdullah and his sister, Pari – inseparable siblings who have nothing in life other than one another. When Pari is sold by their father to a wealthy family who cannot bear children of their own, Abdullah begins a life-long journey to reunite with his “butterfly”. Set across an entire lifetime, the novel tells the story of a family torn apart by war and poverty. And the Mountains Echoed is a tale of heartbreak, and one that will leave you with a broken heart of your own.

“They tell me I must wade into waters, where I will soon drown.” Hosseini’s writing prowess needs no introduction. His writing is floral yet precise, and strikes a perfect balance between symbolism and directness. The 400-page novel is set — for the most part — during the events of the Afghan-Soviet war and its aftermath, and does a stellar job at displaying a people upended by war. And the Mountains echoed explores family, loss, and the mercurial reality of memory — and how one decision can ripple across generations.

WHERE TO FIND IT- You can find And the Mountains Echoed at Bibliothek or as an e-book on Amazon. You can also find the Arabic version at Diwan and AlDar Al Masriah Al Lubnaniah.