And the Mountains Echoed / Khaled Hosseini / 404 p.

There is no doubt that Hosseini has a gift for story telling.  I needed to read this for my book club and even though I had liked the Kite Runner, I was not looking forward to the sadness I expected.  And there is sadness, betrayal, and sacrifice.  But there is also love and hope.  The novel reads much like a series of short stories but they are all tied together with intertwining lives of a few families over the course of six decades.  Afghanistan is the dominent setting but the story also includes Greece, Paris and California. A very worthwhile read.