saroo brierley book a long way home review

One fateful day, Saroo persuades his older brother, Guddu, to take him along on one of his trips, as Saroo now feels old enough to handle the experience. At the tender age of five, Saroo looks after his two-year old younger sister while his mother and brothers go out to work and scavenge for food. The story of Saroo Brierley would break your heart. Unfortunately, for me, it did not live up to my expectations… In this case, I was very intrigued to read Lion, so I was only too delighted when it was chosen for our book-club read in May. The very interesting thing about being involved in a book-club is that you sometimes get to read books that you may not normally have gravitated toward. It celebrates the importance of never letting go of what drives the human spirit – hope. Then he set off on a journey to find his mother.Ī Long Way Home is a moving and inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds. And one day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for. When he was a young man the advent of Google Earth led him to pore over satellite images of the country for landmarks he recognised. He spent hours staring at the map of India on his bedroom wall. Not knowing the name of his family or where he was from, he survived for weeks on the streets of Kolkata, before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a couple in Australia.ĭespite being happy in his new family, Saroo always wondered about his origins. Saroo had become lost on a train in India at the age of five. When Saroo Brierley used Google Earth to find his long-lost home town half a world away, he made global headlines. GradeSaver, 3 August 2020 Web.Book Info: (Courtesy of Author’s Website) Next Section Metaphors and Similes Previous Section Analysis How To Cite in MLA Format Anonymous 'A Long Way Home Symbols, Allegory and Motifs'. Will review the submission and either publish your submission or provide feedback.

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Although he is not directly socialized to embrace it as his own religion, he understands it because of growing where it is practiced. Religionīrierly explains, “Although we weren’t brought up as Muslims, my mother moved us to the Muslim side of town, where I spent most of my childhood.” Residing in an environment regarded as an area for Muslims expose Brierly to the religion. If the family were affluent, they would reside in a more decent and sophisticated house made from cement. Our flat was one of three on the ground level of a red brick building, and so had the same cowpat and mud floor.' The mud is emblematic of extremes poverty. Mudīrierly recounts, 'In our second home we were by ourselves, but in more cramped quarters. If there were adequate infrastructure and resources, poor households such as Brierly's would be shielded from the inconveniencing aftermath of the monsoon. The underpass was a favourite place to play, despite the dust and gravel that sometimes rained down on us when a train crossed.' The monsoon inconveniences the residents because it contributes to the river's overflowing. Monsoonīrierly narrates, “In town, the monsoon also meant the low railway underpass filled with water from the stream it crossed and become unusable. Evidently, his adopted mother does not want him to forget that he is Indian.

I didn't even know what a map was, let alone the shape of India.' The map is emblematic of Brierly's Indian heritage. My mum- my adoptive mother-had put it there to help me feel at home when I arrived from that country at the age of six to live with them in 1987.She had to teach me what the map represented - I was completely uneducated. Mapīrierly narrates, 'When I was growing up in Hobart, I had a map of India on my bedroom wall. Accordingly searching for his Indians relatives does not mean that the bonds with his Australian parents are weak. I spent almost all of my life in Australia, and I have family bonds here that cannot be challenged or broken.' Brierly's bonds with his Australian family and not mutually exclusive with his bonds with the Indian family. Written by people who wish to remain anonymousīrierly affirms, 'Even as I poured all my efforts into tracking down my hometown and family, I was never searching in the hope of somehow getting back to the life I had missed. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

Saroo brierley book a long way home review