1. Context between the author and the novel
Khaled Hosseini
Context between the author and the novel

2. Childhood
He was born in 1965 and grew up in pre-soviet Afghanistan similar to Kite Runner as it is based in the same time period as when Hosseini grew up there. More specifically, he grew up in Kabul, the same place that Amir’s childhood is based.
Moved to California, America when he was 15 (1980) and, similarly to Amir, went straight into High School. He struggled with ‘fitting in’, made worse as he was a teenager who spoke little English. His parents also struggled to rebuild their lives in a very different environment to Afghanistan, which relates to Kite Runner as Baba (Amir’s father) finds it very difficult to fit into the American lifestyle.
As a child he flew kites with his friends and cousins, which is also involved in the Kite Runner with Amir and Hassan participating in Kite Flying competitions. He was the oldest of 5 children which is the opposite of Amir’s childhood as Amir was an only child.
In 1970 Hosseini’s family moved to Iran due to his father work in the Embassy of Afghanistan, and then moved back to Kabul in Later on they moved to France (1976), but were unable to return to Afghanistan due to the revolution when the PDPA – People’s Democratic Party of Afghanistan – took power (described in Kite Runner). The Soviet war in Afghanistan forced them to seek political asylum and move to America which is similar to why Amir and Baba left Afghanistan.

3. Family/Relationships
Khaled Hosseini was the oldest of 5 children, one of which was his sister Raya, who he never remembered being discriminated for being female.
His mother was a Persian language teacher in an all-girls school, Amir’s mother was a poet and Amir enjoyed reading and writing poetry and also books. Khaled Hosseini read a great amount of Persian poetry, as Amir also read a great deal of poetry himself and we also know Hosseini writes, as does Amir in the novel.
He has a wife, Roya and two children.
“I want to thank my father, my oldest friend and the inspiration for all that is noble in Baba.”

4. Location
Hosseini took much of his influence from his setting and location in his real life. One could argue that the geographical similarities in Hosseini’s life and Amir’s life take away complexity, originality and creativity from the novel, because it is merely a reflection of his own life. On the other hand, it could be said that this increases the authenticity of the novel as it presents raw and honest emotions.
Like Amir, Hosseini was born in Kabul. He only spent the first five years of his life there though, which makes us wonder whether or not his early memories of Kabul are an accurate representation. It’s likely that Hosseini only captured the positive memories of Kabul because as a young child you are oblivious to the conflict and disputes going on around you, which consequently meant that Amir’s description of Kabul was more exaggerated and possibly fragmented.
When Hosseini was in his mid-teens he and his family moved to the USA after being granted asylum. This is very similar to the movements of Baba and Amir, meaning we get to read a true account of such a drastic transfer.
Hosseini did not return to Afghanistan until 2003 at the age of 38, where he "felt like a tourist in his own country”. This was also the year that The Kite Runner was published.

5. The Author
“Soraya and I became involved in Afghan projects, as much out of a sense of civil duty as the need for something”
“Spent most of my days In the study, ing people around the world, applying for grants , organising fund-raising events.”
 The concept for the foundation was inspired by the trip to Afghanistan that Hosseini made in 2007 with UNHCR.
Amir was inspired to help out with the foundation after going to Afghanistan to get Hassan. “Asked if I wanted to help him with a hospital project”
“Our little hospital in Rawalpindi had opened the week before, not the surgical unit, just the paediatric clinic.”
So Amir and Soroya’s work with the foundation mirrors Khaled and his wife Roya’s own foundation work.