Camron Wright

To quote the Nostalgia Critic's review of "The Phantom of the Opera," this was a biographic recap of falsified true events. I seriously wonder if the real people portrayed in this book were okay with the final product. I was clearly not the intended audience for this book. I was told it contained themes that were not there in the slightest. Instead, I trudged through a book that is in fact Christian literature, which I don't read. I'm not angry that it was Christian literature; I'm irritated show more that it was presented to me as something wholly different and I kept reading, looking for those themes. No, they were not there. This is instead one of the cheesiest, Disney-fied adoption stories I've read. You wanna do it right, read "Taking Flight: the story of a war orphan," the autobiography of Michaela DePrince. It treats tough themes with the respect deserved, instead of ramming suspense and "but he totes gets rescued!" down audience's throats. The discussion questions at the end of this book were so, so creepy. The entire book was written through the framing of "And then the nice white Christians rescued him and he converted and he's super divorced from his culture, which is fine because he needs to assimilate." They're not horrified he was kidnapped, as the book flap suggests. They were disappointed, but it's portrayed in purple prose. They never stop talking about the Christian god, and I was not reading for that. Even the kidnappers and the orphanage-runners talk about the Christian god and use that for justifying their horrifying behavior. People are so clearly the evilest villain to ever live or the shining example of whoever, in this.

There was just so much purple prose, especially around the love interest. His re-entry, as it were, into Indian culture was written about so strangely but also cliche, that I wondered a lot what the -real- experience was like. They even communicate in song lyrics as a code. That's called songfic in the fanfiction community, author. You're writing in fanfiction style when you're writing about someone's actual life! The way the author writes--I just--I couldn't take it seriously at all. I never did find the themes I was looking for. show less

“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 show more 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 brings 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. show less

This is one of those books that turned out to be completely different from what I expected. And absolutely wonderful! And, as you find out at the end, it's based on a true story.

Adjacent to a huge public dump, in one of the poorest areas of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Sang Ly, her husband Kim Lim, and baby Nisay scrape by each day by scrounging around the mounds of garbage, hunting for items they can sell to buy food. That is, if the patrolling gangs don't steal their money first. The family show more home is cobbled together from metal scrap and tarp, offering only meager protection from the elements. Nisay is constantly ill and, despite continual effort, his parents can't seem to find a cure that lasts.

One of the most hated figures in their lives is the Rent Collector, an older woman who relentlessly hounds her customers, instantly threatening eviction anytime they are late with even one payment. Then, one day, Sang Ly notices the Rent Collector tearing up after glimpsing the cover of a discarded book. This leads Sang Ly to conclude that the Rent Collector knows how to read. Desperate to do whatever she can to improve the prospects for her young son's future, Sang Ly asks the Rent Collector to please teach her how to read.

Thus begins a relationship between these two women, from vastly different backgrounds, who slowly begin to uncover each other's life story and develop a friendship. The Rent Collector's mysterious story dates back to the brutal Khmer Rouge regime while Sang Ly's is rooted in a small country town. There is also the touching love story between Sang Ly and her husband and a glimpse at how, poor as they are, the two of them are able to make a big difference in the lives of those around them. It's also a glimpse into the world of illiteracy and the difference one person's skill can make in the lives of everyone around her.

Don't miss this lovely, deeply human novel! show less

This is one of those books that turned out to be completely different from what I expected. And absolutely wonderful! And, as you find out at the end, it's based on a true story.

Adjacent to a huge public dump, in one of the poorest areas of Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Sang Ly, her husband Kim Lim, and baby Nisay scrape by each day by scrounging around the mounds of garbage, hunting for items they can sell to buy food. That is, if the patrolling gangs don't steal their money first. The family show more home is cobbled together from metal scrap and tarp, offering only meager protection from the elements. Nisay is constantly ill and, despite continual effort, his parents can't seem to find a cure that lasts.

One of the most hated figures in their lives is the Rent Collector, an older woman who relentlessly hounds her customers, instantly threatening eviction anytime they are late with even one payment. Then, one day, Sang Ly notices the Rent Collector tearing up after glimpsing the cover of a discarded book. This leads Sang Ly to conclude that the Rent Collector knows how to read. Desperate to do whatever she can to improve the prospects for her young son's future, Sang Ly asks the Rent Collector to please teach her how to read.

Thus begins a relationship between these two women, from vastly different backgrounds, who slowly begin to uncover each other's life story and develop a friendship. The Rent Collector's mysterious story dates back to the brutal Khmer Rouge regime while Sang Ly's is rooted in a small country town. There is also the touching love story between Sang Ly and her husband and a glimpse at how, poor as they are, the two of them are able to make a big difference in the lives of those around them. It's also a glimpse into the world of illiteracy and the difference one person's skill can make in the lives of everyone around her.

Don't miss this lovely, deeply human novel! show less