The Kite Runner Notes

The Early Years in Kabul
-Protagonist is Amir
-Lives in a poor household with his father(Baba) and 2 servants (Ali and Hassan)
-The two servants were father(Ali) and son(Hassan) as well.  Amir's mother had died in childbirth and the Hassan's mother had run off
-Many things create conflict in the household.  The two servants are from an ethnic minority while Amir's father likes Hassan more than his own son
-The two boys decide to join a kite fighting tournament (the kite strings are coated in tar and glass)
-Amir wins the tournament and Hassan chases down the defeated kite
-Hassan obtains it but runs into three guys (Wali, Kamal, and Assef).  Assef rapes Hassan while Kamal and Wali watch.  Amir doesn't know what to do and just stands there while watching the crime take place
-Both boys agree to not tell anyone about the incident
-Amir begins to feel guilty about it, especially when his father begins to feel even more affectionate towards Hassan
-Amir becomes very jealous and puts a wad of cash and a watch under Hassan's bed.  Baba is alerted to this and Hassan (feeling generous and not wanting Amir to get in trouble) confesses.  Hassan and Ali are sent away

The Freemont Years
-War hits Afghanistan
-Things get worse and worse.  Spies are everywhere
-Amir and Baba pack up, sneak across the border, and fly to California
-Everything is harder in California.  Amir tries very hard to make enough money for basic living
-Amir falls in love with a young girl(Soraya) at a flea market
-Baba works at a gas station for long hours
-His health begins to deteriorate and is found by Amir to be coughing up blood
-Now diagnosed with cancer, Baba arranges Amir's marriage with Soraya

Return to Kabul
-After Baba's death, one of his old friends(Rahim Khan) calls Amir.  He invites Amir to come back to Afghanistan saying that he can make things good again
-Rahim tells Amir that Hassan and Farzana(Hassan's wife) had moved back into Baba's old house.  The Taliban had came in and murdered Hassan and Farzana.  Their daughter was now in Kabul somewhere and needed saving.  Rahim also says that Hassan was Amir's half brother
-Sohrab isn't in the orphanage.  In fact, he is being held by a Talib official, who just so happens to be Assef.
-Amir and Assef have a fist fight and Sohrab uses a sling shot to blind Assef.  The two escape
-It is almost impossible for Amir to adopt Sohrab because the death of Hassan and Farzana was never recorded
-Amir tries to put him in an orphanage until the papers go through but Sohrab attempts suicide
-The novel ends with the two sitting at a park, watching kite fighting; now closer than ever