Which Khaled Hosseini novel was challenged in many US schools for its depiction of violence?

The Khaled Hosseini novel challenged in many U.S. schools for its depiction of violence is The Kite Runner.

Published in 2003, Hosseini’s debut novel follows Amir, the son of a wealthy Afghan businessman, and Hassan, the son of his father’s Hazara servant. Their friendship unfolds against Afghanistan’s political upheavals, including the fall of the monarchy, the Soviet invasion, refugee displacement, and Taliban rule. The novel is also a story of guilt, betrayal, memory, and attempted redemption.

The book has been challenged and banned in schools and libraries for violence, offensive language, sexual content, and concerns about age suitability. The most cited disturbing episode involves the sexual assault of Hassan as a child, while later sections depict war, persecution, and brutality. These challenges sometimes get reduced to “a book about violence,” but its historical and emotional context is essential to the plot. It is often confused with Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns, which also portrays Afghanistan’s wars and oppression but has a different central story.