Expatriate Literature and the Problem of Contested Representation: The Case of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner 1 Janette Edwards Abstract: This paper examines the varied public responses, favourable and unfavourable, to Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel, The Kite Runner, and its 2007 film adaptation. It looks especially at the outcry in Afghanistan over ‘culturally inflammatory’ elements of both novel and film typically framed by the Anglophone press as the gap between Western liberalism and ethno- religious extremism, and considers those hostilities against antagonisms toward Hosseini’s work expressed within the Afghan expatriate communities. In seeking a nuanced understanding of what lies at the core of this so-called ‘clash of sensibilities’, the author draws upon media reports and critique, conversations with Afghan transnationals, and Hosseini’s text to explore the broader but related questions of 1) the limits of acceptability in art, particularly when it transgresses the norms of the society from which it has emerged and 2) the future of expatriate literary production when carried out under communally-imposed constraints. All views expressed in this paper are the author’s and not those of the United States Department of Defense or the Defense Language Institute where she serves as associate professor in the Faculty Development Division. Key Words: Afghanistan; Khaled Hosseini, expatriate literature; hermeneutics; narrative theory 1. Introduction By conventional measures of artistic and commercial achievement, Khaled Hosseini’s 2003 novel, The Kite Runner, has been a triumph. Hosseini’s story of the friendship of two Afghan boys, the brutal interruption of that relationship, and the eventual redemption of the protagonist has sold more than four million copies in the United States and several more million worldwide. 2 Having won a host of book awards, The Kite Runner now appears regularly on reading lists for freshmen entering American colleges and universities. At least one prestigious journal for mental health care professionals has cited The Kite Runner’s ‘clinically pertinent themes,’ and not-for-profit organisations serving refugees have recommended the book for anyone wishing to better understand the plight of displaced persons. 3 The 2007 movie version of the book has broadened the novel’s audience and