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melissasbookshelf's review
5.0
“Seek dharma, child. Find out how you fit in, who you are. Remember that everything around you has a purpose. Even you.”
I loved this adaptation of the The Orphan Keeper for young readers. This powerful story is a must read realistic fiction based on the true story of Taj Rowland. As a young boy in Erode, India, Chellamuthu gets into the normal scrapes of growing up. He learns difficult lessons as less than savory companions tempt him to steal and do things he knows his mother wouldn’t approve of. But Chellamuthu is a good boy at heart who tries to do his best and sacrifices his own happiness to help others. When he is kidnapped and taken to an orphanage several hours away from his home, he pleads with them to take him back to his family. He knows his family wouldn’t give him up and he knows he’s not an orphan, yet he is deceptively sold to an unknowing family in America and promised a better life.
Chellamuthu’s new life in America consists of teasing, learning a new culture and language, and slowly losing his memories from home. Though his adoptive family is kind and loving, he still wants to find a way back to India. With the new name of Taj Rowland and through the years, his memories gradually slip away, yet he recognizes something is missing in his life. A study abroad to London, meeting a spunky psychology student Kelly, and being surrounded by Indian culture bring back old memories long forgotten. From this time on, Taj makes a plan to return to India and find his family.
This story was so touching. I could easily identify with Chellamuthu’s mother who goes to great lengths to find her missing son. I could also sympathize with Eli and the other orphanage’s owners who thought they were giving a better life to Chellamuthu and the children who were brought or kidnapped and placed in the orphanage. But, there’s something about understanding one’s family and roots. The ache for Taj is palpable and I can’t imagine what it was like for a little boy to be pulled from everything he loved and understood and placed in such a different culture. His survival and thriving is a great example to both young adults and adults. His search for his family is miraculous and the way he gives back to his village and family once he finds them shows he truly found “dharma.”
Highly recommend this book! It’s an inspiring, uplifting story that will touch your heart. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
I loved this adaptation of the The Orphan Keeper for young readers. This powerful story is a must read realistic fiction based on the true story of Taj Rowland. As a young boy in Erode, India, Chellamuthu gets into the normal scrapes of growing up. He learns difficult lessons as less than savory companions tempt him to steal and do things he knows his mother wouldn’t approve of. But Chellamuthu is a good boy at heart who tries to do his best and sacrifices his own happiness to help others. When he is kidnapped and taken to an orphanage several hours away from his home, he pleads with them to take him back to his family. He knows his family wouldn’t give him up and he knows he’s not an orphan, yet he is deceptively sold to an unknowing family in America and promised a better life.
Chellamuthu’s new life in America consists of teasing, learning a new culture and language, and slowly losing his memories from home. Though his adoptive family is kind and loving, he still wants to find a way back to India. With the new name of Taj Rowland and through the years, his memories gradually slip away, yet he recognizes something is missing in his life. A study abroad to London, meeting a spunky psychology student Kelly, and being surrounded by Indian culture bring back old memories long forgotten. From this time on, Taj makes a plan to return to India and find his family.
This story was so touching. I could easily identify with Chellamuthu’s mother who goes to great lengths to find her missing son. I could also sympathize with Eli and the other orphanage’s owners who thought they were giving a better life to Chellamuthu and the children who were brought or kidnapped and placed in the orphanage. But, there’s something about understanding one’s family and roots. The ache for Taj is palpable and I can’t imagine what it was like for a little boy to be pulled from everything he loved and understood and placed in such a different culture. His survival and thriving is a great example to both young adults and adults. His search for his family is miraculous and the way he gives back to his village and family once he finds them shows he truly found “dharma.”
Highly recommend this book! It’s an inspiring, uplifting story that will touch your heart. I received an advanced complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not required to provide a positive review.
halkid2's review
5.0
NOTE: I was given early access to this manuscript in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. Scheduled Publication: October 4, 2022.
An important clarification. This review references the YOUNG ADULT version of a longer adult novel by the same name, THE ORPHAN KEEPER, that was published in 2016. And I, for one, am glad this story is now accessible to a younger audience.
Based on a true story (there are photos at the end of the book), the novel tells the story of one child in India who is adopted and raised in the United States. Chellamuthu’s transition from Indian poverty to American middle class isn’t what you might expect. Though not a victim of physical abuse or mistreatment, Chellamuthu’s is a victim of clandestine and economically-driven adoption practices that unfairly uproot a powerless seven-year-old boy, who just happens to be in the wrong place and the wrong time.
It’s a rich and at times suspenseful story about someone who struggles with identity and often feels like an outsider. About his internal struggle between two cultures and about a young person trying to reckon two parts of oneself. There’s a protagonist that is easy for younger readers to identify with and the novel raises some challenging questions to ponder about diversity, race, and identity. Not to mention the issues involved in adopting a child of a different racial or cultural identity.
This is a plot-driven book with plenty of action that follows Chellamuthu from child to adult. It would be an excellent book to assign to a middle school class to read and discuss as a group.
An important clarification. This review references the YOUNG ADULT version of a longer adult novel by the same name, THE ORPHAN KEEPER, that was published in 2016. And I, for one, am glad this story is now accessible to a younger audience.
Based on a true story (there are photos at the end of the book), the novel tells the story of one child in India who is adopted and raised in the United States. Chellamuthu’s transition from Indian poverty to American middle class isn’t what you might expect. Though not a victim of physical abuse or mistreatment, Chellamuthu’s is a victim of clandestine and economically-driven adoption practices that unfairly uproot a powerless seven-year-old boy, who just happens to be in the wrong place and the wrong time.
It’s a rich and at times suspenseful story about someone who struggles with identity and often feels like an outsider. About his internal struggle between two cultures and about a young person trying to reckon two parts of oneself. There’s a protagonist that is easy for younger readers to identify with and the novel raises some challenging questions to ponder about diversity, race, and identity. Not to mention the issues involved in adopting a child of a different racial or cultural identity.
This is a plot-driven book with plenty of action that follows Chellamuthu from child to adult. It would be an excellent book to assign to a middle school class to read and discuss as a group.
kylaslittlelibrary's review
5.0
The Orphan Keeper by Cameron Wright
Youth Adaptation
I will preface this by saying I have yet to read the original version so I don’t know how it compares. However, this book has been on my TBR for years so when I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of the adapted version, I jumped on it.
The Orphan Keeper is a fictionalized story based on the real life experiences of a boy kidnapped from his family in India and then adopted by a couple in the United States.
I wish I had read the story sooner! It is so good. It’s hard to grabble with my feelings on this one. Losing a child is a mother’s worst nightmare. What Taj experienced, horrible. And while it could have been so much worse, that doesn’t discount the awfulness of the situation. Torn from the only home you’ve ever known and taken across the globe to entirely new culture where there’s not a single person who looks like you or speaks your language, would be enough to break anyone. But this story is laced with faith and filled with hope. Truly breathtaking.
The story felt a little disjointed at times and I still have a few questions but the writing is beautiful and the journey worth it.
Content: poverty, theft, kidnapping, death
Youth Adaptation
I will preface this by saying I have yet to read the original version so I don’t know how it compares. However, this book has been on my TBR for years so when I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of the adapted version, I jumped on it.
The Orphan Keeper is a fictionalized story based on the real life experiences of a boy kidnapped from his family in India and then adopted by a couple in the United States.
I wish I had read the story sooner! It is so good. It’s hard to grabble with my feelings on this one. Losing a child is a mother’s worst nightmare. What Taj experienced, horrible. And while it could have been so much worse, that doesn’t discount the awfulness of the situation. Torn from the only home you’ve ever known and taken across the globe to entirely new culture where there’s not a single person who looks like you or speaks your language, would be enough to break anyone. But this story is laced with faith and filled with hope. Truly breathtaking.
The story felt a little disjointed at times and I still have a few questions but the writing is beautiful and the journey worth it.
Content: poverty, theft, kidnapping, death
dart's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mackenzie073's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an earc of this book.
I enjoyed the full circle effect of this book, and liked the storyline itself. I would have liked to see more of Raj’s childhood years while in America, but the story overall was quite heartwarming.
I enjoyed the full circle effect of this book, and liked the storyline itself. I would have liked to see more of Raj’s childhood years while in America, but the story overall was quite heartwarming.
evamadera1's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
This book tells the novelized real life story of the main character. First published in 2017 as an adult novel, it has now been adapted for young readers, the version I read. I think it worked well as a young readers version although perhaps some of the things that I found just average about the plot and the characterization could come from a possibly simplistic adaptation. Having not read the original version, I do not know if this is true or not.
This book can be split into two primary portions, childhood, and young adult years. The main character loves his family but struggles in the endemic poverty of his small Indian village as well as the alcoholism of his father. One day he finds himself kidnapped by people who work for a Christian orphanage many hours away and through this, even though he repeatedly tells people that he has a family, ends up adopted by a couple in the United States. The second half of the book picks up as he is about to head to college and finds himself in a study aboard program in London and through an interesting turn of events returning to India and finding his birth family.
This book read quickly. I did not mind the read but I did not really feel challenged in any way either.
This book can be split into two primary portions, childhood, and young adult years. The main character loves his family but struggles in the endemic poverty of his small Indian village as well as the alcoholism of his father. One day he finds himself kidnapped by people who work for a Christian orphanage many hours away and through this, even though he repeatedly tells people that he has a family, ends up adopted by a couple in the United States. The second half of the book picks up as he is about to head to college and finds himself in a study aboard program in London and through an interesting turn of events returning to India and finding his birth family.
This book read quickly. I did not mind the read but I did not really feel challenged in any way either.
theblessedeveryday's review against another edition
3.0
Once I got into this, it was a quick and enjoyable read. Overall though I felt like I wanted more insight into both of his families and a little more introspection. There was nothing I objected to, but also not anything particularly revelatory. Also somewhat misleadingly titled (a pet peeve of mine).
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