Kabul-born American novelist In his runaway best-seller Khaled's first novel, The Kite Runner, (2003), about a complex Middle Eastern culture, the book has become one of the publishing industry's greatest success stories. It has been published in 38 countries, translated into 42 languages, turned into an Oscar-nominated movie - and sold more than 10 million copies. His second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is about the lives of Afghans in Afghanistan, covering the past 30-plus years. It is a story of Mariam, the illegitimate daughter of wealthy playboy, forced into a loveless marriage to the boorish shoemaker Rasheed and it explains how war has shaped the society - pressure-packed guide to enduring the unendurable. Born into a prosperous family - son of a career diplomat - his family moved to San Jose, California, in 1979. He grew up in America and became a doctor.