"No one can be lonely who has a book for company." ~ Nelle Reagan

Monday, October 24, 2011

Review: Little Princes by Conor Grennan

Little Princes
Author:  Conor Grennan
Published by William Morrow, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright:  2010
Pages:  283
Genre:  biography
ISBN 9780062031709
Source:  a complimentary Advanced Readers Edition was available to me at work.

"In search of adventure, twenty-nine-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children's Home orphanage in war-torn Nepal.  But what began as a lark became a passionate commitment that would transform the young American and the lives of countless others.

Within minutes of his arrival, Conor was surrounded by a horde of gleeful boys and girls showering him with warm welcomes.  Yet, as he soon learned, the children's cheery smiles belied years of pain and abuse; many of the boys and girls at the Little Princes Children's Home were not orphans at all but victims rescued from human traffickers.  Moved by their plight, Conor vowed that when his trip was over he would return to the children of the Little Princes Children's Home and eventually reunite them with their families -- a promise he would risk his life to keep.

Little Princes is the powerful story of a soul's awakening, and a reflection of the noblest and darkest of human intent.  It is a true, and often hilarious, tale of the power of optimism, love, and faith.  And it is an unforgettable account of children, families, and one man whose decision to take a stand makes the world a better place for all of us."

My review:  One morning I was watching the Nate Berkus show and was immediately caught up in his introduction to a new author and book, Little Princes.  Preceding the interview, Nate commented that it is rare that he stays up all night to read a book but this was one he couldn't put down.  Fascinated by that introduction and upon watching the interview I immediately went online to check out the website, Next Generation Nepal and had been looking forward to reading it ever since.  Little Princes did not disappoint.

Conor Grennan professes that his initial intent to volunteer at a Nepalese orphanage wasn't selfless.  He thought it would impress people so he began his year long world travel with three months at the orphanage.  Little did he know, those three months would change him and the lives of those children forever.  Conor returned not once but twice and got caught up in the cause to find the parents of those children who were not orphans, but were victims of child trafficking.  It became his life's passion.  This heart-warming biography is interspersed with moments of danger, cultural highlights and plentiful humour.  Little Princes is an enthralling read that I would highly recommend to all.  
" It was well after nightfall when I realized we had gone the wrong way.  The village I had been looking for was somewhere up the mountain...if we could even find the trail in the pitch-dark.  My two porters and I had been walking for almost thirteen hours straight.  Winter at night in the mountains of northwestern Nepal is bitterly cold, and we had no shelter.  Two of our three flashlights had burned out.  Worse, we were deep in a Maoist-rebel stronghold, not far from where a colleague had been kidnapped almost exactly one year before...I wondered how things would have been different if I hadn't gotten hurt.  Or if I hadn't split from my team, or if I hadn't decided to wait on that mountain for a helicopter that never came. It didn't matter now.  What did matter was figuring out how we would get through the night."  (from the back cover)

Note:  this book is one of my staff favourites at work.

1 comment:

  1. I absolutely love this book! My first copy was a trade paperback but when I found it in hard cover I had to get it to add to my shelves. I definitely recommend it to all for a touching memoir that reads like a novel with a message that'll warm your heart and remain with you always!

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