William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0061930065
Published Jan 25, 2011
Trade paperback, 304 pages
Most of you who read my reviews know that I don't usually gush about the books I read unless I'm blown away. Well, this one has definitely blown me away! Get ready for some unapologetic gushing. My reading year has just begun with Little Princes on the top of my favorite books list.
Conor Grennan's memoir about what started out as a three-month stint volunteering at an orphanage in civil war-torn Nepal quickly turns into a riveting account of one man's mission to reunite the kids he had grown to love with the parents they were stolen from. There are so many things to say about this book, I don't know where to start. I am still absorbing its impact on me.
First off, it needs to be said that this book is so well-written, with a narrative that flows smoothy from one scene to the next. I truly felt like I was living each moment with Conor as he recounted his journey. His honesty, sincerity, and wonderful sense of humour made this book such a pleasure to read even when the reality was heartwrenching. I laughed so hard when reading his experiences with culture adaptations and was moved to tears when reading of the children's hardships, resilience and ways of seeing the world. How wise they were even at a young age!
I fell in love with those children and by the end of the book I felt like I knew them. I fell in love with Conor as a human being who risked his life to fulfil an extraordinary quest to help reverse child trafficking in Nepal. But there is so much more! We meet a slew of wonderful people with hearts of gold such as Farid, the French young man whose dedication and friendship equal Conor's, the vivacious couple Jacky and Viva of the Umbrella Foundation, courageous Anna Howe, the inexhaustible Gyan of Nepal's Child Welfare Board, and of course, beautiful Liz Flanagan, with whom Conor corresponds through email.
This book is about hope and although the situation of the children is sobering and so sad, Conor focuses on them as individuals. He allows us to get to know the people of Nepal much as Greg Mortenson did in Three Cups of Tea for the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan. It is impossible not to rejoice with them in their triumphs no matter how small or trivial they may be in our Western world. After reading Little Princes, you will be left with a good feeling. But don't just take my word for it. This book is so worth reading.
Whether you are interested in world events, children, humanitarian work or just reading a personal and page-turning account of a young man whose life took on a new meaning after meeting a group pf children in an orphanage, you've got to read this book. Not only will it make you stop and think outside of the big bubble called “me” but you will be doing your small part to help the children of Nepal since a portion of the proceeds from this book will go to Next Generation Nepal, the non-profit organization that Conor and Farid launched.
You can read more reviews on Little Princes Book Tour Stops.
Note: This book is rated C = clean read.
I will count this book toward the following challenges: A-Z Book Challenge
If my review hasn't convinced you enough, let Conor tell you more about his mission and the children of Nepal:
Reviewed by Laura
About the author:
Conor Grennan, author of the memoir Little Princes, spent eight years at the EastWest Institute (EWI), both in Prague and the EU Office in Brussels, where he served as Deputy Director for the Security and Governance Program.At the East/West Institute, Conor developed and managed a wide variety of projects focusing on issues such as peace and reconciliation in the Balkans, community development in Central Eastern Europe, and harmonizing anti-trafficking policy at the highest levels government in the European Union and the former Yugoslavia.
Conor left EWI in 2004 to travel the world and volunteer in Nepal. He would eventually return to Nepal and found Next Generation Nepal, an organization dedicated to reconnecting trafficked children with their families and combating the root causes of child trafficking in rural villages in Nepal. He was based in the capital of Kathmandu until September 2007 where he was the Executive Director of Next Generation Nepal.
Conor now serves on the Board of Next Generation Nepal, together with his wife, Liz. He is a 2010 graduate of the NYU Stern School of Business, where he was the President of the Student Body. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and two children, Finn and Lucy.
Connect with Conor on Facebook and Twitter. Also visit his website and his organization, Next Generation Nepal.
Disclosure: Thanks to William Morrow and TLC Book Tours for sending me this book for review. I was not compensated in any other way, nor told how to rate or review this product.
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