Khaled Hosseini: And the Mountains Echoed

1952, a starry night in the desert: a father tells an Afghan parable to his son and daughter. They have made camp in the mountains on their way to Kabul. Holding their breath, Abdullah and little Pari listen to the story of a boy abducted by a terrible div, facing the most horrific fate imaginable. But life is not painted in black and white—not even in fairy tales... The next morning, the father and children will continue their journey to Kabul, and this day will become a crossroads for their destinies. They will part ways, perhaps forever. The separation of the brother and sister will give rise to several intertwining and unravelling stories. And at the center of this web is Pari, named not for the French capital, but because that is the Farsi word for "fairy." Five generations and a multitude of countries and cities will be drawn into a parable of life that unfolds through wars, births, deaths, loves, betrayals, and hopes. Khaled Hosseini’s new novel is luminous, piercing, and polyphonic; it is about how any decision made for another person—for good or for ill—has a price, and fate will inevitably demand payment. It is a novel about the power of cheap words and costly actions, the treachery of life’s purpose, the inevitability of retribution, the clamor of cowardice, and the silent devotion of the heart.

Author: Khaled Hosseini

Translation: Shashi Martynova

Pages: 448 (offset). Hardcover

Dimensions: 14x21 cm