Little Princes by Conor Grennan

Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal is a charming and thought-provoking narrative about a 29-year-old and his travels around the world including his three-month stop in Nepal to volunteer in an orphanage. Grennan acknowledges that the orphanage stint was something that would impress girls and look good on his resumé.   He never expected to fall in love with Nepal and a group of orphaned kids.  When Grennan met seven children that had been stolen from their families by traffickers he vowed to find them safe and secure homes. His subsequent travels and his commitment to the children are commendable but the thing that makes his story sing is his joy in the journey.  His brushes with kind strangers, parents that give up everything for their children, kidnapping, corruption, absurd regulations, and Maoist rebels that control vast areas paint a balanced portrait of Nepal as well. 

Connor Grennan loves “his” kids and the joy and fun he has with them is contagious.  The way the kids tackle him and play games with him illustrates that children are the same everywhere.  Grennan’s treks to find the children’s families, his sacrifices and his always infectious optimism make this a book that both informs and delights.

Toss in a long distance romance after Grennan meets and instantly falls for a woman who makes a brief visit and his search to find his Christian faith while honoring and appreciating the Buddhists and Hindus in his midst and you have a whale of a story.  A portion of the profits from the book go toward Next Generation Nepal (NGN) that Grennan founded to help reunite Nepalese orphans with their families.

Summing it Up: This book will inform and educate you about Nepal while making you smile.  If you liked Three Cups of Tea, you’ll love this charming and caring view into the lives of children in the mountains of Nepal. This would also be the perfect book to interest teens in reading and in learning about the world.  Even “reluctant reader” teenage boys would enjoy Grennan’s adventures.

Rating: 5 stars    
Category: Nonfiction, Soul Food, Super Nutrition, Book Club

Publication date: January 25, 2011

Author website: http://conorgrennan.com/

Reading Group Guide: http://conorgrennan.com/little-princes/reading-guide/

What Others are Saying:

School Library Journal: http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/adult4teen/2011/01/24/little-princes/

Publisher’s Weekly: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/bytopic/authors/interviews/article/45392-an-orphanage-in-nepal-pw-talks-with-connor-grennan.htm