The Orphan Keeper: A Novel Based on a True Story

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 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 show more 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 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 show more 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

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, show more 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. show less

This was an amazing tale, one eye-opening, heart-breaking and a bit astonishing – I was glued to the page from the very beginning. Never in the world have I read a more fortuitous coincidence as in this book. Camron Wright has written the story of Chellamuthu, keeping to the story he was told and fictionalizing parts where blanks needed to be filled in.

The Orphan Keeper was a two-tissue read for me. It is a tale of love of family, personal struggle and determination, vividly told. The characters are aptly depicted, and I was drawn into their struggles: the pain and abandonment felt by young Chellamuthu, the strong belief of the orphanage manager that he truly was giving the young people a chance at a better life (however misguided it show more was), the struggles of Taj to fit in as the only brown-skinned boy in several counties as he was growing up. His re-introduction to the Indian culture he had largely forgotten occurred while he was studying in London was fascinating. But it was the determination of Taj in his later years to seek out his family that stayed with me. Such a powerful and beautiful story about the strength of the family bond – I think it would be a wonderful pick for book clubs. show less

Here's a case where one wishes that the story had been written by the protagonists rather than a professional. This is an amazing tale of an eight year old boy from Tamil Nadu who is kidnapped on the street in the 1970s by alleged "do-gooders" who sell children to adoptive American parents for profit. Chellamuthu becomes Taj to his American family and feels alienated at home yet resistant to any Indian culture. His adoptive parents learn that he had a family back in India, but don't tell him that they attempted to track them down, with no luck. Taj goes on to live a happy and successful life (no spoilers) despite all the obstacles, including, most infuriatingly, a father-in-law who seems to know much about the circumstances but refuses show more to help Taj in his search. The overall lack of communication between everyone in the story is almost unbelievable. I suggest that you wait for Taj's tell-all. show less

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, show more 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. show less

This book is a captivating read, and it is a new addition that is geared to younger readers, 10 to 13 years old.
Lessons taught to the young Chellamuthu, are a bit harsh by our standards, but in the end help identify the adult Taj. Sadly, this is based on a true story, and I can’t imagine this families grief when this young boy is kidnapped from his village and life.
He finally ends up in America, and what we think of a life taking up turn, the author makes us think of the language barrier, food not the same, and missing your home and family.
We follow this young fellows struggles from before he is kidnapped, to the adult he becomes, and then his search for his lost family. Can you imagine looking for the home you lost in crowded show more India?
This is a story filled with emotions and perseverance, along with the caring for you fellow man, and it quickly becomes a page turner. A story to help you realize how blessed you are!
I received this book through the Publisher Shadow Mountain, and was not required to give a positive review. show less