Tickets are $28.95 plus tax, and include a copy of the new book “And The Mountains Echoed,” available for pre-order through Watermark Books & Cafe, by phone at 316-682-1181 or online at www.watermarkbooks.com.

Tickets will be available for pick-up when the book is released on May 21.

Hosseini and Ted Ayres, vice president and general counsel for Wichita State University, will have a book conversation about Hosseini's newest book, followed by a book signing.

“And the Mountains Echoed” is a novel about how we love, how we take care of one another and how the choices we make resonate through generations.

In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor and sacrifice for one another and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us at the times that matter most.

Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe — from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos — the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.

"We're thrilled to be able to partner with WSU to bring an author of this caliber to Kansas," said Sarah Bagby, owner of Watermark Books & Cafe. "Hosseini's novels introduce readers to situations that are not particularly pleasant, but they help us navigate the intricacies of our complicated, multicultural and multigenerational world. His reputation as one of the best American novelists working today is well deserved."

Author bio:
Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. His father was a diplomat in the Afghan Foreign Ministry, and his mother taught Farsi and history at a high school in Kabul.

In 1976, the Foreign Ministry relocated the Hosseini family to Paris.

They were ready to return to Kabul in 1980, but by then their homeland had witnessed a bloody communist coup and the invasion of the Soviet Army. The Hosseinis sought and were granted political asylum in the United States, and in September 1980 moved to San Jose, Calif.

Hosseini graduated from high school in 1984 and enrolled at Santa Clara University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in biology in 1988. The following year he entered the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, where he earned a medical degree in 1993. He completed his residency at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and was a practicing internist between 1996 and 2004.

In March 2001, while practicing medicine, Hosseini began writing his first novel, “The Kite Runner.” Published by Riverhead Books in 2003, that debut went on to become an international bestseller and beloved classic, sold in at least 70 countries and spending more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

In May 2007, his second novel, “A Thousand Splendid Suns,” debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, remaining in that spot for 15 weeks and nearly an entire year on the bestseller list.

Together, the two books have sold more than 10 million copies in the United States and more than 38 million copies worldwide. Hosseini’s much-awaited third novel, “And the Mountains Echoed,” will be published on May 21, 2013.

In 2006, Hosseini was named a Goodwill Envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency. Inspired by a trip he made to Afghanistan with the UNHCR, he later established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. He lives in northern California.