[Flying kite with my friends] is one of the seminal memories of growing up for me.

War doesn't negate decency. It demands it, even more than in times of peace.

She wished she could visit Mariam's grave, to sit with her awhile, leave a flower or two. But she sees now that it doesn't matter. Mariam is never very far.... Mariam is in her own heart, where she shines with the bursting radiance of a thousand suns.

The short of it is, as an aspiring writer, there is nothing as damaging to your credibility as saying that you don't like to read.

You have extreme poverty and high crime and you have to admit that the governance of the Kabul regime has been poor and has been losing its popular legitimacy. You have a corrupt police force, not to mention homelessness, joblessness. The problems are huge.

I have a theory about marriage, Monsieur Boustouler. And it’s that nearly always you will know within two weeks if it’s going to work. It’s astonishing how many people remain shackled for years, decades even, in a protracted and mutual state of self-delusion and false hope when in fact they had their answer in those first two weeks.

All my life, she gave to me a shovel and said, Fill these holes inside of me, Pari.