The Kite Runner by khaled Hosseini

This story is set in Afghanistan, and centres around the lives of two 12 year old boys. Hassan and his father are servants to Amir and his father. The boys are best friends. Hassan is fiercely loyal to Amir, but his loyalty is not reciprocated. Hassan is badly let down by Amir when he is brutally attacked one day, and Amir does nothing to help. As a result of this, and lies told by Amir, their lives take separate paths. Amir has to live with the shameful knowledge that he failed his best friend, but he vows to return to Afghanistan, and find a way to right the terrible wrong he has done.
This is a riveting tale of loyalty, bullying, rape, self loathing, love, and finally - triumph. It is a story that I have remembered long after I closed the book.