Book Review of
A Long Way Home
At only five years old, Saroo Brierley got lost on a train in India. Unable to read or write or recall the name of his hometown or even his own last name, he survived alone for weeks on the rough streets of Calcutta before ultimately being transferred to an agency and adopted by a couple in Australia.
Despite his gratitude, Brierley always wondered about his origins. Eventually, with the advent of Google Earth, he had the opportunity to look for the needle in a haystack he once called home, and pore over satellite images for landmarks he might recognize or mathematical equations that might further narrow down the labyrinthine map of India. One day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for and set off to find his family.
A Long Way Home is a moving, poignant, and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. It celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit: hope.
Lynn's Review
A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly was a book that I received from Page 1 books as part of my Page 1 book subscription. I will share more about this subscription service soon, but I will say that this book was a great pick for me.
A Long Way Home was published in 2014, so it was also perfect for my backlist book challenge.
At five years old Sarro Brierly was lost on a train in India. He did not know the name of his town or even his own last name. He survived on the streets of India, ended up in an orphanage, and then was adopted by a couple from Australia.
With determination and the help of Google and Facebook, he is able to track down the town that he was from and in an unbelievable way was able to connect with his family again.
This first half of this book was heartbreaking, but it was such a powerful story that I was unable to put it down. If you love memoirs, I think you will enjoy this one.