Reviews

and the mountains echoed tells the story of several families, all connected by afghanistan, over a period of 50 years. it starts with a folktale which can be seen as an allegory to the ways in which the lives of our characters will unfold. from the small fictional village of shaghbah, the lives of abdullah and pari unfold and spill into the lives of those as near as pakistan and as far as france and the united states. it is a story of descent, a story of effect and consequence, and ultimately a story of family (both the one we choose and the one we don’t). steeped in culture, i felt invited into a home unlike my own and made to feel welcome. enjoying the delicacies, language and customs unaccustomed to me. as a guest, i began my education, and as a friend i concluded it.

yes, this is the story of brother and sister, of parent and child, but it is so much more. it is love, and loss, and secrets, and friendship, and the attempt to reconcile the holes in our hearts that grow wider, and deeper, with age and experience.

the characters were slightly disjointed to me in the beginning, with an array of characters that probably required a mind map to keep up with how each one is connected to the other. the ever-changing POVs make it a little difficult to really sink into each character; however, as the chapters continue they become more established and easier to decipher.

overall, definitely something to add to my frequently forgotten favourites list.

Out beyond ideas
of wrongdoing and rightdoing,
there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
- Jelaluddin Rumi, 13th Century

Content Warnings

amyjsprinks's review against another edition

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emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

plisetskys's review against another edition

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5.0

“they say, find a purpose in your life and live it. but, sometimes, it is only after you have lived that you recognize your life had a purpose, and likely one you never had in mind.”

jenmat1197's review against another edition

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5.0

This is a story of several families in Afghanistan whose lives intertwine of the course of 50 years. It starts with a father telling a story to his two children. Little do the children know that this story he tells about an ogre that comes and takes children away would become a reality. The family is very poor, and the children's mother has died, and the father has remarried. They cannot afford to take care of all the children, and the father knows of a family in Kabul that is childless. They agree to take the little girl, much to the dismay of her older brother. What follows are stories that branch out from these two young children told through many different viewpoints and across many years. It shows how one decision can affect his descendents and even his acquaintances for years to come.

Khaled Hosseini has become my favorite author over the last few years. His writing is absolutely amazing, and his stories draw you in. You cannot book the book down. Most of his stories are full of heartache, and this one was no exception. I was two chapters in and already very sad. But I couldn't stop. I had to know what happened to the little girl who was taken away from the only family she knew at the age of 4. And what happened to her brother who was her most cherished one.

Run to get this book. Run to get any of Hosseini's books. He is exceptional.

pandora_22's review against another edition

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5.0

This book is just one of a kind. It's just amazing, heartbreaking, and much more.

Honestly, after reading the first two books, I didn't know what to expect from this book. It seemed like the first two books pretty much had me emotionally invested, and what more could this one do? But it is a Khaled Hosseini book so even if it's something predictable it would be good. At least that's what I thought as I picked it up to read.

'And the mountains echoed' is much more than a brother-sister bond. It focuses on the bigger picture with more characters and delimmas

hannah527's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

mettguns84's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

lisaxdf's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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