But the game involves only male names. Because, if it's a girl, Laila has already named her

The images [of The Kite Runner grafic] were created in Fabio Celoni's mind. I chose to let him take the lead. Fabio and I did exchange an e-mail or two, but it was my intention to step out of the way and let his artistic instincts take over.

The problem, of course, was that [he] saw the world in black and white. And he got to decide what was black and what was white. You can't love a person who lives that way without fearing him too. Maybe even hating him a little.

When you have lived as long as I have, the div replied, you find that cruelty and benevolence are but shades of the same color.

In the end, the world always wins. That's just the way of things.

After everything he'd built, planned, fought for, fretted over, dreamed of, this was the summation of his life; one disappointing son and two suitcases.

Of all the hardships a person had to face, none was more punishing than the simple act of waiting.