Putnam's SonsĪnd I just thought the worst, I thought perhaps everyone's gone, my whole family's died, they've passed away. Saroo Brierley was born in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, India, and currently lives in Hobart, Tasmania. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn't know his town's name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country proved to be impossible. There, he was adopted by an Australian family and flown to Tasmania.Īs he recounts in his new book, A Long Way Home, Brierley couldn't help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He lived on the streets, then in a juvenile home and, finally, in an orphanage. He was more than a thousand miles from his home, in a city where he did not speak the language. That train took him across the country to Kolkata (then called Calcutta), where he spent five harrowing months. "It was just an impulse decision," Brierley says, "that, in fact, changed my destiny for life." Finding himself alone, the 4-year-old decided his brother might be on the train he saw in front of him - so he hopped on. He took a nap in the station, and when he woke up, he couldn't see his brother. One day, Brierley tagged along to the next city down the rail line. Brierley's older brothers would hop trains to nearby towns to search for scraps to eat. His mother was raising four children on her own, and they were constantly hungry. At 4 years old, he couldn't read: He didn't even know the name of his hometown. More than 25 years ago, Saroo Brierley was one of many poor children in rural India. Your purchase helps support NPR programming. Close overlay Buy Featured Book Title A Long Way Home Author Saroo Brierley
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