Khaled Hosseini

Khaled Hosseini Study question

Sea Prayer

Sea Prayer MCQs

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner MCQs

A Thousand Splendid Suns

And the Mountains Echoed

And the Mountains Echoed MCQs

Facts about Khaled Hosseini

➾ At age five, while living in Iran, Hosseini taught the Hazara man who worked as the family cook how to read and write.

➾ Hosseini’s family returned to Kabul in 1973, the historic year Afghanistan officially became a republic.

➾ Following the 1978 coup and Soviet occupation, his family sought political asylum in the U.S. instead of returning to Kabul from Paris.

➾ Before becoming a novelist, Hosseini earned an M.D. in 1993 and entered private practice as a full-fledged internist after completing his residency at Cedars-Sinai.

➾ He famously started writing his debut novel, The Kite Runner, at 4:00 am daily before heading to work at his medical practice.

➾ Hosseini only transitioned to writing full-time in 2004, a year after the publication of The Kite Runner.

➾ Upon returning to Afghanistan for the first time in twenty-seven years in 2003, he was disturbed to find the situation far worse than his own fictional accounts.

➾ Hosseini expressed shame over his privileged escape, stating he struggled with his freedom and felt he “should have suffered more”.

➾ His “Western sensibility” combined with his separation from Afghanistan helped bring the faces of the country to the world’s attention through his fiction.

➾ The sight of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit inspired the central themes of his second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

➾ Hosseini was appointed as a goodwill envoy for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in 2006 due to the focus his novel brought to the refugee crisis.

Khaled Hosseini MCQs

1. When and where was Khaled Hosseini born?

A. May 4, 1965, Tehran, Iran
B. March 4, 1965, Kabul, Afghanistan
C. March 4, 1965, San Jose, USA
D. May 4, 1965, Paris, France

B. March 4, 1965, Kabul, Afghanistan
He was born in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan.

2. What was the profession of Hosseini’s father?

A. High school teacher
B. Physician
C. Diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry
D. UNHCR official

C. Diplomat for the Afghan Foreign Ministry
His father’s diplomatic career led the family to live in Iran and France during Hosseini’s childhood.

3. What subject did Hosseini’s mother teach in high school?

A. Biology and History
B. Farsi and English
C. History and Mathematics
D. Farsi and History

D. Farsi and History
His mother was a high school teacher in Kabul.

4. How many siblings did Khaled Hosseini have?

A. He was the youngest of two
B. He was the oldest of three
C. He was the oldest of five children
D. He was the middle child of seven

C. He was the oldest of five children
He has four younger siblings.

5. To which city did Hosseini’s family first move from Kabul when he was five years old?

A. Paris, France
B. San Jose, California
C. Tehran, Iran
D. Herat, Afghanistan

C. Tehran, Iran
His father was assigned to the Afghan embassy in Tehran in 1970.

6. In which historic year did Hosseini’s family return to Kabul, marking Afghanistan becoming a republic?

A. 1970
B. 1973
C. 1976
D. 1978

B. 1973
They returned in 1973, the year Mohammad Daoud Khan overthrew King Zahir Shah.

7. When did the Hosseini family relocate to Paris, following his father’s diplomatic post?

A. 1973
B. 1976
C. 1978
D. 1980

B. 1976
His father was posted to the Afghan embassy in Paris in 1976.

8. Why did the Hosseini family seek political asylum in the United States instead of returning to Kabul from Paris?

A. The family faced economic hardship
B. The PDPA seized control and the Soviets occupied Afghanistan
C. Hosseini wanted to study medicine in the US
D. His father resigned from the Foreign Ministry

B. The PDPA seized control and the Soviets occupied Afghanistan
The Saur Revolution (1978) and subsequent Soviet invasion (1979) made it unsafe for the diplomat’s family to return.

9. In which American city did the Hosseini family settle after receiving political asylum?

A. Los Angeles, California
B. Santa Clara, California
C. San Jose, California
D. San Diego, California

C. San Jose, California
They arrived in San Jose in September 1980.

10. Which university did Hosseini attend for his undergraduate degree in Biology?

A. University of California-San Diego
B. Cedars-Sinai hospital
C. Santa Clara University
D. Harvard University

C. Santa Clara University
He attended Santa Clara University, located near San Jose.

11. In what year did Hosseini receive his bachelor’s degree in Biology?

A. 1984
B. 1988
C. 1993
D. 1996

B. 1988
He graduated from Santa Clara University in 1988.

12. At which institution did Hosseini earn his M.D. in 1993?

A. Santa Clara University
B. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
C. University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine
D. Kabul Medical University

C. University of California-San Diego’s School of Medicine
He pursued his medical degree at UCSD School of Medicine.

13. Where did Hosseini complete his medical residency, making him a full-fledged doctor by 1996?

A. Cedars-Sinai hospital of Los Angeles
B. A hospital in San Jose
C. University of California, San Diego
D. A Parisian clinic

A. Cedars-Sinai hospital of Los Angeles
He completed his residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

14. What type of physician did Hosseini become after his residency?

A. Surgeon
B. Internist
C. Pediatrician
D. Psychiatrist

B. Internist
He specialized in internal medicine.

15. When did Hosseini begin writing his first novel, The Kite Runner?

A. 1996
B. 2001
C. 2003
D. 2004

B. 2001
He started writing the novel in March 2001.

16. What was Hosseini doing professionally while he started writing The Kite Runner?

A. He was a full-time author
B. He was a practicing physician
C. He was a goodwill envoy
D. He was in residency training

B. He was a practicing physician
He famously wrote the novel in the early mornings before going to his medical practice.

17. When was Hosseini’s first novel, The Kite Runner, published?

A. 2001
B. 2003
C. 2007
D. 2013

B. 2003
The Kite Runner was published in 2003.

18. What is Khaled Hosseini primarily known?

A. His medical breakthroughs
B. His vivid depictions of Afghanistan
C. His diplomatic service
D. His Persian poetry

B. His vivid depictions of Afghanistan
His novels are celebrated for bringing the culture, history, and struggles of Afghanistan to a global audience.

19. What genre is Khaled Hosseini known for?

A. Poet
B. Historian
C. Novelist
D. Playwright

C. Novelist
He is internationally recognized for his three published novels.

20. What is the name of the protagonist and narrator of The Kite Runner?

A. Hassan
B. Mariam
C. Amir
D. Daoud Khan

C. Amir
The story is told from the perspective of Amir, a Pashtun boy growing up in Kabul.

21. By May 2007, The Kite Runner had been published in how many countries (approximately)?

A. Five
B. Eighteen
C. Thirty-eight
D. Over fifty

C. Thirty-eight
The novel achieved immense international success and translation.

22. Which neighborhood of Kabul is mentioned as the setting for parts of The Kite Runner?

A. Tehran District
B. Wazir Akbar Khan
C. San Jose Suburb
D. Qala-e-Fathullah

B. Wazir Akbar Khan
Amir grows up in this relatively affluent neighborhood of Kabul.

23. When did Hosseini return to Afghanistan for the first time after 27 years?

A. 1980
B. 1993
C. 2003
D. 2007

C. 2003
He made his first visit back shortly after the publication of The Kite Runner.

24. What was Hosseini’s reaction upon visiting Afghanistan in 2003?

A. He was pleased to see development
B. He was disturbed by the terrible situation
C. He felt instantly at home
D. He found it unchanged

B. He was disturbed by the terrible situation
He was shocked by the devastation caused by years of war and Taliban rule.

25. What did Hosseini state saved him and his family from suffering under the Soviets and the Taliban?

A. Their strong religious faith
B. His father’s diplomatic immunity
C. A combination of luck and material privilege
D. Their immediate return to Kabul

C. A combination of luck and material privilege
He acknowledged that his family’s ability to leave and seek asylum was a privilege not available to most Afghans.

26. What feeling did Hosseini tell Time Magazine he struggled with regarding his freedom?

A. Pride in his achievements
B. Shame, feeling he should have suffered more
C. Disgust at the government
D. Relief that his family was safe

B. Shame, feeling he should have suffered more
He expressed a form of survivor’s guilt, feeling ashamed of his relatively easy life compared to those left behind.

27. What combination allowed Hosseini’s fiction to bring the world’s attention to Afghanistan?

A. His medical knowledge and writing skill
B. His fame and wealth
C. His separation from his homeland and his “Western sensibility”
D. His father’s contacts and his detailed research

C. His separation from his homeland and his “Western sensibility”
His perspective as an Afghan emigrant, able to bridge the gap for Western readers, was crucial to his success.

28. What was the critical response to The Kite Runner?

A. Uniformly negative due to weak storytelling
B. It was praised for storytelling but dismissed for melodramatic elements
C. It received no critical notice initially
D. It was only published after extensive revision

B. It was praised for storytelling but dismissed for melodramatic elements
While many praised its narrative power, some critics found aspects of the plot contrived or overly sentimental.

29. How did The Kite Runner initially gain wide popularity?

A. Through a major film release
B. Through readers’ word-of-mouth praise
C. Through extensive advertising campaigns
D. Through academic endorsements

B. Through readers’ word-of-mouth praise
Its popularity grew organically, particularly through book clubs recommending it.

30. When was Hosseini’s second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, published?

A. 2003
B. May 2007
C. 2013
D. 2001

B. May 2007
His highly anticipated second novel was published in 2007.

31. What is the central focus of A Thousand Splendid Suns?

A. Relationships between brothers
B. Relationships between men
C. Relationships between women
D. The history of kite fighting

C. Relationships between women
The novel tells the intertwined stories of two Afghan women, Mariam and Laila.

32. What inspired Hosseini’s second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns?

A. Stories he heard from his father
B. His observations of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit
C. A short story he wrote in high school
D. A specific political event in 1979

B. His observations of women wearing burkas during his 2003 visit
Seeing women shrouded in burkas during his trip profoundly affected him and sparked the idea for the novel.

33. What kind of adaptations of The Kite Runner appeared in 2007?

A. Radio and television serials
B. Comic book and video game
C. Film and theater
D. Opera and musical

C. Film and theater
A major motion picture directed by Marc Forster and a stage play adaptation were released in 2007.

34. What caused Hosseini to turn to writing full-time in 2004?

A. He retired from medicine due to age
B. The prompt success of The Kite Runner
C. His appointment as a diplomat
D. His desire to travel

B. The prompt success of The Kite Runner
The overwhelming success of his first novel allowed him to leave his medical career in December 2004.

35. What humanitarian role has Hosseini held since 2006?

A. Ambassador to France
B. Spokesperson for the Taliban
C. Goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
D. Chairman of the PDPA

C. Goodwill envoy to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
His work helps raise awareness about the plight of refugees globally.

36. The appointment as a goodwill envoy was brought on by the focus The Kite Runner brought to what issue?

A. The plight of Afghan physicians
B. The continuing Afghan refugee crisis
C. The need for educational reform
D. The history of kite fighting

B. The continuing Afghan refugee crisis
The novel’s portrayal of Afghan refugees resonated with the mission of the UNHCR.

37. What is the name of Hosseini’s third novel chronologically?

A. The Kite Runner
B. A Thousand Splendid Suns
C. And the Mountains Echoed
D. The Kabul Bazaar

C. And the Mountains Echoed
This was his third novel, published in 2013.

38. What is the focus of the novel ‘And the Mountains Echoed’ (2013)?

A. A friendship between two men
B. The relationship between two wives
C. A brother and sister separated by adoption
D. The life of a diplomat

C. A brother and sister separated by adoption
The novel spans multiple generations and continents, tracing the impact of this separation.

39. In And the Mountains Echoed, in which decade does the separation of the siblings occur?

A. 1970s
B. 1980s
C. 1950s
D. 1990s

C. 1950s
The initial event that sets the multi-generational story in motion occurs in 1952.

40. What is the reason for Hosseini’s fame, as suggested by Time Magazine?

A. He is one of the world’s best doctors
B. He is almost certainly the most famous Afghan in the world
C. He is known for revolutionary political views
D. He successfully returned to Afghanistan

B. He is almost certainly the most famous Afghan in the world
His international bestselling novels have made him a globally recognized figure representing Afghanistan.

41. What type of atmosphere characterized Kabul during Hosseini’s childhood?

A. Strictly traditional and isolated
B. A cosmopolitan city mixing Western and Afghan culture
C. A war-torn, desolate landscape
D. A place lacking in literature and art

B. A cosmopolitan city mixing Western and Afghan culture
He remembers pre-war Kabul as a thriving, progressive city with cinemas, universities, and cultural exchange.

42. Which event in 1979/1980 made returning to Kabul impossible for the Hosseini family?

A. A massive earthquake
B. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
C. A financial collapse
D. A change in the diplomatic mission

B. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan
The invasion in December 1979 solidified the communist government’s control and led to widespread conflict, preventing their return.

43. What did Hosseini teach a Hazara man working as a cook for the family while they were in Iran?

A. How to drive a car
B. How to read and write
C. How to cook French cuisine
D. The principles of biology

B. How to read and write
This childhood experience influenced the relationship between Amir and Hassan (a Hazara) in The Kite Runner.

44. What kind of literature was Khaled Hosseini already reading by the time his family was in Iran (around 1970)?

A. Medical textbooks and journals
B. Persian poetry and American novels
C. Only political manifestos
D. Only children’s picture books

B. Persian poetry and American novels
His childhood exposure to both Eastern and Western literature shaped his literary sensibilities.

45. Which political event occurred in 1973, shortly after the Hosseini family returned to Kabul?

A. The Soviet invasion
B. The overthrow of King Zahir Shah by Mohammad Daoud Khan
C. The rise of the Taliban
D. The publication of The Kite Runner

B. The overthrow of King Zahir Shah by Mohammad Daoud Khan
This coup d’état ended the monarchy and established the Republic of Afghanistan.

46. How can Hosseini’s devotion to Afghanistan be seen in, besides his writing?

A. His continuing medical practice
B. His personal investment in local businesses
C. His activism and role as a UNHCR goodwill envoy
D. His role as a history teacher

C. His activism and role as a UNHCR goodwill envoy
His humanitarian work demonstrates his ongoing commitment to the Afghan people and refugees.

47. In The Kite Runner, what are the respective ethnicities of the protagonist, Amir, and his friend, Hassan?

A. Both are Pashtun
B. Both are Hazara
C. Amir is Hazara, and Hassan is Pashtun
D. Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara

D. Amir is Pashtun, and Hassan is Hazara
The ethnic and social differences between the dominant Pashtuns and the historically oppressed Hazaras are central to the novel’s conflicts.

48. What is the central theme symbolized by the act of kite fighting in The Kite Runner?

A. Childhood innocence and joy
B. Political conflict and warfare
C. Betrayal and the subsequent quest for redemption
D. The friendship between two boys from different social classes

C. Betrayal and the subsequent quest for redemption
The kite tournament represents both the height of Amir’s childhood happiness and the moment of his profound betrayal of Hassan, setting up the novel’s main arc.

49. The Kite Runner centers around relationships between men; A Thousand Splendid Suns centers around relationships between whom?

A. Children and parents
B. Women
C. Servants and masters
D. Soldiers

B. Women
Hosseini explicitly stated he wanted his second novel to focus on the experiences and bonds between Afghan women.

50. Which of Hosseini’s following works is the latest published novel?

A. The Kite Runner
B. A Thousand Splendid Suns
C. And the Mountains Echoed
D. Farsi and History

C. And the Mountains Echoed (2013)
Published in 2013, this is his most recent full-length novel to date.

Sea Prayer MCQs

1. Where did the father and his brothers sleep during childhood summers?

A. Homs Old City
B. On the roof
C. Creek bank
D. Inside the barn

B. On the roof.
The father recalls that during his long childhood summers, they “spread our mattress on the roof” of their grandfather’s farmhouse.

2. What city does the father wish Marwan remembered from better times?

A. Raqqa
B. Damascus
C. Homs
D. Aleppo

C. Homs.
The father explicitly states, “I wish you remembered Homs as I do, Marwan,” recalling its bustling Old City.

3. What animals stirred in the breeze near the farmhouse in the morning?

A. Singing birds
B. Wild goats
C. Olive trees
D. Herd of cows

C. Olive trees.
The source mentions that they woke in the mornings “to the stirring of olive trees in the breeze”.

4. What was compared to a ‘pale rim of persimmon’ to the east?

A. The moon
B. The rising sun
C. A cooking pot
D. A field flower

B. The rising sun.
When they woke up, the air was cool and the sun was “a pale rim of persimmon to the east”.

5. What did the father and his uncles build near the farmhouse creek?

A. Stone houses
B. Wooden rafts
C. A thousand dams
D. A small bridge

C. A thousand dams.
The father remembers the creek by the farmhouse where they “built a thousand boyhood dams” when they were young.

6. What structures shared space in Homs’ bustling Old City before the war?

A. Library and souk
B. Castle and fountain
C. Mosque and church
D. School and market

C. Mosque and church.
The Old City contained “a mosque for us Muslims, a church for our Christian neighbours, and a grand souk”.

7. What smell characterized the crowded lanes of the Old City?

A. Burnt wood
B. Fresh flowers
C. Fried kibbeh
D. Wet asphalt

C. Fried kibbeh.
The father recalls the crowded lanes smelling distinctively “of fried kibbeh” during their evening walks.

8. What location did the family walk around with the mother in the evenings?

A. Clock Tower Square
B. The grand souk
C. The creek path
D. The farmhouse roof

A. Clock Tower Square.
The family took evening walks with the mother “around Clock Tower Square” in Homs before the violence began.

9. What did the skies start ‘spitting’ after the protests and siege began?

A. Smoke plumes
B. Sharp metal
C. Bombs
D. Ash and dust

C. Bombs.
The father explains that after the protests and siege, the terrible time arrived when “The skies spitting bombs”.

10. What grim use has Marwan learned for a bomb crater?

A. Garden plot
B. Swimming hole
C. Shelter area
D. Burial site

B. Swimming hole.
Marwan has learned the grim fact that a “bomb crater can be made into a swimming hole”.

11. What did Marwan learn about dark blood in comparison to bright blood?

A. Dark is worse
B. Dark is better news
C. Bright is dangerous
D. Bright means recovery

B. Dark is better news.
The father notes that Marwan has learned tragically that “dark blood is better news than bright”.

12. Where are mothers and sisters sometimes found after the destruction?

A. Under the mattress
B. Near the olive trees
C. In narrow gaps
D. Next to the river

C. In narrow gaps.
They can be found in “narrow gaps between concrete, bricks and exposed beams,” with patches of sunlit skin.

13. Where are the father, Marwan, and mother waiting tonight?

A. On a cold beach
B. In a farmhouse
C. In a refugee camp
D. Inside an alley

A. On a cold beach.
They are gathered “on this cold and moonlit beach, among the crying babies” awaiting sunrise.

14. What group of people, other than Syrians, are mentioned waiting on the beach?

A. Egyptians and Turks
B. Somalis and Iraqis
C. Mexicans and Chinese
D. Russians and Polish

B. Somalis and Iraqis.
The crowd includes “Afghans and Somalis and Iraqis and Eritreans and Syrians” waiting together.

15. What conflicting emotions did those on the beach feel about the sunrise?

A. Joy and calm
B. Tiredness and boredom
C. Impatience and dread
D. Curiosity and relief

C. Impatience and dread.
All the people gathered are “impatient for sunrise, all of us in dread of it,” knowing their dangerous journey is ahead.

16. What harsh term has the father heard used to describe their group?

A. The forgotten
B. The welcome
C. The uninvited
D. The lost souls

C. The uninvited.
The father states, “I have heard it said we are the uninvited. We are the unwelcome”.

17. What did the mother say people would do if they saw the refugees’ struggles?

A. Offer money
B. Say kinder things
C. Call the police
D. Demand quiet

B. Say kinder things.
The mother believes that “If only they saw. They would say kinder things, surely”.

18. What did the father compare Marwan’s sleeping eyelashes to?

A. Smooth stone
B. Black threads
C. Calligraphy
D. Tiny needles

C. Calligraphy.
Looking at his sleeping son, the father describes Marwan’s eyelashes as being “like calligraphy”.

19. What term does the father use to describe Marwan in relation to the vessel?

A. Future leader
B. Precious cargo
C. A heavy load
D. Wise companion

B. Precious cargo.
The father stresses his value, calling Marwan “precious cargo, the most precious there ever was”.

20. What is the father’s ultimate action in the face of the sea’s vast indifference?

A. Lighting a fire
B. Praying to God
C. Trying to swim
D. Holding the rope

B. Praying to God.
Feeling helpless against the vast, indifferent sea, the only action the father can take is to “pray God steers the vessel true”.

Brief Overview

Sea Prayer is a short illustrated novel by Khaled Hosseini, published in 2018. The novel is structured as a loving letter from a father to his young son, Marwan, as they wait on a cold, moonlit beach to make a dangerous sea crossing.

The father remembers their peaceful former life in Homs, Syria. He recalls long, happy summers at their farmhouse with the smell of olive trees. He describes Homs as having a busy Old City where Muslims and Christians lived near each other and walked around Clock Tower Square.

This happy past now seems like a distant “dream.” This life ended first with protests, followed by a terrible siege. The skies began “spitting bombs,” bringing starvation and constant burials.

Marwan learned a grim lesson: dark blood is better news than bright blood, indicating less severe injury. Now they are part of a massive movement of refugees from places like Afghanistan and Iraq, all seeking safety and a new home.

The father hears people say that the refugees are unwelcome. He tries to give Marwan courage, promising, “Hold my hand. Nothing bad will happen.”

However, the father feels powerless because the sea is vast and indifferent to their fate. He concludes by praying that God will steer their boat when they are just a “flyspeck in the heaving waters,” asking for mercy because Marwan is his “precious cargo.”