Afghan-born American novelist and physician of ethnic Tajik origin, Khaled Hosseini is a citizen of the United States where he has lived since he was fifteen years old. His 2003 debut novel The Kite Runner was an international bestseller, selling more than 12 million copies worldwide. His second, A Thousand Splendid Sunswas released on May 22, 2007. In 2008, the book was the bestselling novel in Britain (as of April 11, 2008), with more than 700,000 copies sold.