The Kite Runner follows Amir's life when during a kite-fighting tournament, he wins Baba's approval but later witnesses Hassan being raper by Assef, a local bully. Overwhelmed by guilt, Amir orchestrates Hassan's departure from home. The Soviet invasion forces Amir and Baba to flee to the United States, where Amir grows up, marries Soraya, and struggles with his past. Eventually, Amir travels back to Taliban-ruled Kabul, Afghanistan, to rescue Hassan's orphaned son, Sohrab and confronts Assef who holds the boy.