This is the 2nd book by this author that I've read this Autumn. I loved The Rent Collector and it was based on a real family. This too was inspired by a real little boy from India.
STORY SUMMARY
It is 1978. Chellamuthu Gounder is just 7 years old and living with his mama (Arayi) and papa (Kuppuswami) in Erode, India on the Kavari River. He has an older brother named Selvaraj and a baby sister named Anju who is always sick. As is typical of Indian families, they have a lot of relatives living in the same town. He plays with his cousin Krishna and has begun to hang out with some older boys who are trouble. In fact, Chellamuthu's parents are becoming quite worried about him and his unruly, disobedient behavior. They are practicing Hindus, as well, and Arayi often prays to her gods for wisdom.
One day, while waiting outside on the street, for his papa to finish up at a market, Chellamuthu is kidnapped and sold to a Christian (i.e. not Hindu) orphanage.
He is then adopted a few months later by an American couple who also have 2 other adopted boys. While Chellamuthu learns about life in the United States, and begins to learn English and cope with a school setting, the parents, Linda and Fred Rowland, give him a new name: Taj. Taj has no real memories of his early childhood but as he begins to learn English, he does make it known verbally that he has a family back in India!
Linda and Fred are horrified to learn this news and begin to investigate the matter. But Eli Manickham, the director of the Lincoln Home for Homeless Children refuses to correspond with them. They make phone calls, write letters, all to no avail.
Meanwhile, life goes on and they love him, get him to and from school and teach him the ways of American life.
But the questions continue to haunt him: "Who am I? Where do I come from? How do I get home? Why was I taken?"
About ten years later, when Taj is in college, he meets an Indian girl named Priya. She is from southern India and they discover that she has some ties to his past!
Will Priya help him to answer all of his questions and discover his biological family?
When he does make it back to India, how will he even find his family??
MY THOUGHTS
I liked this book although I found it to be a slower pace than The Rent Collector. I also found it a tad bit unsettling.
I had no idea children were kidnapped and sold in India in the 1970s!! (I knew it happened for the sex trade but didn't know they were sold to then get adopted by unsuspecting families!).
The character development and cast of characters is diverse, well developed and very believable. This is fiction but based on the real Chellamuthu's life story.
One thing that really bugged me:
The author quotes a passage from the New Testament that is completely wrong!
The quote in the book is this:
"As a lifelong Christian, he (Eli) was well aware of the ninth commandment, Thou shalt not bear false witness. Yet also as a lifelong Christian, he believed as Matthew had preached, that one should not turn away a little child, for of such is the kingdom of heaven." (pg 143, The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright, c. 2016).
This is totally inaccurate!! The actual Scripture is this:
"Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." ~Matthew 19:14~
Matthew is the disciple who wrote the book of Matthew and gave this eye witness account. Jesus is the One who said it/preached it, not the disciple! I was quite disappointed that the author didn't do his Biblical research!
Other than that, and a few editing errors, this book was a great look into the poverty, lives, and feelings of Indian people and their culture. There was a quote I really liked that jumped out at me which was said by Fred to his wife Linda when they were pondering why God wasn't answering their prayers, etc.
"Perhaps there are times He (God) trusts us enough to move forward without giving us every little answer."
Again, the author has a point here but it's worded a bit oddly. God doesn't always answer our questions the way we want or think He should, right? I think the author is eluding to the fact that some ways of God are mysterious and will remain so until we see Him face to face.
Overall, this book is an excellent fiction story inspired by a true, although horrific, event.
I absolutely loved the ending! I won't ruin it for you.
The author does include real photos from Chellamuthu's life.
In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 14 and older.
On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8.
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