The Orphan Keeper YA Review

 

 

 

About the Book

 Seven-year-old Chellamuthu’s life—and his destiny—is forever changed when he is kidnapped from his village in Southern India and sold to the Lincoln Home for Homeless Children. His family is desperate to find him, and Chellamuthu anxiously tells the Indian orphanage he is not an orphan, that he has a mother who loves him. But he is told not to worry as he will soon be adopted by a loving family in America.

Chellamuthu is suddenly surrounded by a foreign land and a foreign language. He can’t tell people that he already has a family and becomes consumed by a single, impossible question: How do I get home? But after more than a decade, home becomes a much more complicated idea as the Indian boy eventually sheds his past and receives a new name: Taj Khyber Rowland.

It isn’t until Taj meets an Indian family who helps him rediscover his culture and family history that he begins to discover the truth he has all but forgotten. Taj is determined to return to India and begin the quest to find his birth family. But is it too late? Is it possible that his birth mother is still looking for him? And which family does he belong to now?

The Orphan Keeper is a deeply moving and gripping journey about discovering one’s self and the unbreakable family bonds that connect us forever. (Goodreads)

Pre-Order HERE. Available October 4, 2022

My Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect with this book but I was excited that it was the young adult version of this story. The Orphan Keeper is based on a true story and I was totally engrossed once I got three chapters into the book. I don't know what the other version is like but I really enjoyed this one. It is an amazing tale of a young boy who loses and also finds family in a very unexpected way. I loved reading about a different culture from my own and to see American culture through the eyes of a foreigner.  There is sadness and disbelief. There is humor and romance all tied together between the pages. It is a well written eye opening story that I won't soon forget. 

Highly recommend! Five Stars. 

 

"I received this book from Shadow Mountain Publishers for free. All opinions are my own and I was not required to write a positive review. "