The Orphan Keeper

This is a story of a little boy who was kidnapped in India, taken to live at an orphanage and adopted by a family and raised in America. What makes it even more remarkable is that is based on a true story. Seven year old Chellamuthu is such a likeable, strong, even funny character. I laughed out loud at some of the things he did or said and I also was very sad at some of the things he had to endure. When he finally gets the courage to tell his adopted parents that he was kidnapped and has a family in India, they make phone calls and try to uncover the truth about Chellamutha, renamed Taj by his American family, but they just keep hitting dead ends. As Taj grows older, he never stops wondering about his family and what happened. After high school, he spends some time in London as part of an international study abroad. This is the 1st time he has seen so many people who look like him. Taj meets some wonderful people who keep encouraging and supporting him to continue his search/journey. He has very few clues about his past but then he meets Priya, a girl from Southern India with ties to his past. Crazy! The right people are always put in his life at the right time. Could she be the key to his past or is it too late?
I loved all the people in this story, except the people at the orphanage. :( This is a beautiful story about the perseverance and strength of the human spirit.

Rating:10. Word: fate Hooked from the start. Such perilous journey of longing and reunion. Very emotional read. Saddened by his misfortune but elated at his reunion with his biological family. The pictures at the end of the book were a huge plus

Great story