<p>Hey guys, the summer reading for the Class of 2009 is 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini.</p>
<p>The Kite Runner Is Summer Reading Choice for Incoming Students
The book was chosen because it provides a historical and timely glimpse at two nations in particular -- Afghanistan and Pakistan -- and the challenges facing their citizens</p>
<p>Thursday, April 7, 2005 | DURHAM, N.C. -- The first book cracked by Duke Universitys Class of 2009 will be "The Kite Runner," a fictional story of a young Afghan boy who is raised by his father in Kabul until they flee Afghanistan and end up in California. </p>
<p>The novel, written by Khaled Hosseini, will be sent to all incoming first-year students in mid-July. The students are expected to read the book before August orientation sessions, when they will participate in small-group discussions.</p>
<p>Ryan Lombardi, assistant dean of students and chair of the summer reading selection committee, said that after considering more than 90 nominees, "The Kite Runner" was the committees top choice because it provides a historical and timely glimpse at two nations in particular -- Afghanistan and Pakistan -- and the challenges facing their citizens.</p>
<p>"The Kite Runner is a thought-provoking novel that is very difficult to put down," Lombardi said. "It offers great insight into our global society by exploring issues and tensions that should captivate every reader."</p>
<p>Now in its fourth year, Dukes summer reading assignment intends to provide a taste of the universitys intellectual climate and to foster a shared learning experience and a sense of community among incoming students. Last year, students read "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder. The book spotlights Paul Farmer, an infectious disease expert who is a Duke graduate.</p>
<p>A committee of 12 faculty members, undergraduates and student affairs staff began meeting in January to consider 92 nominations, which eventually were pared to four finalists. The other finalists were "Blood Done Sign My Name" by Timothy B. Tyson, "A Hope in the Unseen" by Ron Suskind and "Dead Man Walking" by Sister Helen Prejean.</p>
<p>"The Kite Runner" emerged as the top choice because of its timeliness. The committee also opted for a fictional work this year; the previous two summer reading assignments were non-fiction.</p>
<p>One of the strongest advocates for "The Kite Runner" was junior committee member Beth Harper, who is co-chair of the First-Year Advisory Counselor Program. She and other student counselors will lead small-group discussions during orientation.</p>
<p>"Although The Kite Runner is a work of fiction, Khaled Hosseini provides excellent insight into the culture of Afghanistan and vividly depicts the harsh realities of life in a region ravaged by war and conflict," Harper said. "Perhaps one of the books most important strengths, however, is its exploration of universal themes. Hosseini examines issues which humans of all cultures struggle with, such as the search for ones identity, relationships with family members and questions of loyalty and cowardice.</p>
<p>"I think The Kite Runner will spark great discussion among students from all different backgrounds because it raises both individual issues and larger global and cultural questions," she added.</p>
<p>Hosseini was born in Kabul in 1965, the eldest of five children. In 1976, Hosseinis family was relocated to Paris, where his father was assigned a diplomatic post in the Afghan embassy. The assignment would return the Hosseini family to Afghanistan in 1980; by then, Afghanistan had already witnessed a bloody communist coup and the Soviet invasion.</p>
<p>Hosseinis family asked for and was granted political asylum in the U.S. and moved to San Jose, Calif., in 1980. Hosseini attended Santa Clara University and graduated from University of California-San Diegos School of Medicine. He has been in practice as an internist since 1996. He is married and has two children.</p>
<p>"The Kite Runner" is his first novel.</p>
<p>Lombardi said he plans to invite Hosseini to visit campus early in the fall semester.</p>