Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan

Nov 10, 2011 Petra X rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-true-story, travel-adventure

I fell for the hype. The feature in the New Releases newsletter, the huge author profile and video on the book page, the pretty cover, the really great subject and the attractive author. I paid out for the hardback but you needn't, it will be remaindered within the year.

Its just flat. Really its a 'me' book, no, 'ME' book. The author just writes about himself and sketches in the people he deals with, but its all about him and to a lesser extent the kids, and to an even lesser extent his cornfed...more I fell for the hype. The feature in the New Releases newsletter, the huge author profile and video on the book page, the pretty cover, the really great subject and the attractive author. I paid out for the hardback but you needn't, it will be remaindered within the year.

Its just flat. Really its a 'me' book, no, 'ME' book. The author just writes about himself and sketches in the people he deals with, but its all about him and to a lesser extent the kids, and to an even lesser extent his cornfed blonde internet pen-pal who becomes his wife, then about the other expats. Others, the Nepalese included, are merely mentioned. All very lacklustre.

What I wanted to know was how the homes were run, who did the cooking, the cleaning, the looking after the children when the author wasn't there. Who taught them, what did they learn? What prospects did they have when the eldest would have to leave and at what age was that envisaged? And what happened to the girls - were they all safe at home being looked after by their parents or what? When I say who did this and that, I mean the locals, I didn't need to just hear about the ex-pats. I'm interested in the Nepalese story too. Actually, we finally hear that there was a house father and house mother (local Nepalese) a couple of pages from the end. They just weren't important to his story but they were what I wanted to read about.

I got a bit more interested in the trek to Humla to find the lost boys' families, but that died when he returned and started to write adolescent stuff about buying a Bible (his girl friend is a born-again) and being in love with her but not wanting to tell her, oh gee, spare me.

Partly it's the editor's fault. The characters scarcely leap off the page and that could have been worked on. The lovesick stuff could have been edited out and a lot more about the Nepalese included (and a bit less about the expats). All of this would have made the story more interesting.

The man did a good thing, I can't take that away from him. But you know, I am so fed up with all these expats going around solving all the world's problems and bigging themselves and each other up in books. The local Nepalese had done their best to take care of these children when they weren't paid and when they were hired. I would have liked to have known more about them instead of just brief portrayals of grindingly poor people who didn't seem to do anything at all.

Not a bad read, just not the enthralling story the hype promised. I don't really like being negative about someone who really has done a lot of good and continues to do so, so I will say to Connor Grennan, you have my full respect for your great efforts and successes with these little children, but your book was... a little tedious.

Read March 11, 2011. Review edited 11/10/2011(less)

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Aug 12, 2010 Will Byrnes rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, books-of-the-year-2011, all-time-favorites-non-fiction, favorites

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. When late-twenty-something Conor Grennan felt guilty about spending an entire year travelling the world, he decided to dedicate three months of this time to volunteering at a Kathmandu orphanage named “Little Princes.” His experience would be a life altering one for him. The children in this orphanage had arrived mostly because of traffickers. Unscrupulous men promise desperately poor rural parents that their children will be well looked-after, well educated, and will be safe from being taken by...more When late-twenty-something Conor Grennan felt guilty about spending an entire year travelling the world, he decided to dedicate three months of this time to volunteering at a Kathmandu orphanage named “Little Princes.” His experience would be a life altering one for him. The children in this orphanage had arrived mostly because of traffickers. Unscrupulous men promise desperately poor rural parents that their children will be well looked-after, well educated, and will be safe from being taken by Maoist insurgents. They then charge these poor people enormous sums but do not deliver on their promises. Some of the children are sold into slavery, some are used as professional beggars for Fagin-like masters, some are dumped on families no better able to raise and protect them than their own families, and some are dropped off at orphanages. The “orphans” Grennan encountered were often children who still had living families. He made it his mission to try to reconnect the children with their loved ones.

I was reminded of Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson’s tale of building schools for education-deprived kids in Pakistan. There is plenty of observation of the surrounding physical and political environment, but Grennan’s tale hews more closely than Mortenson’s to his personal story.

In fact, it reads like a novel, with a bit of something for everyone. There is suspense. Grennan must fear for his life as Dickensian evil-doers such as politically connected human traffickers and Maoist rebels who do not appreciate his interefence with their theft of children, pose a constant threat. There is adventure, as Grennan, who is injured at the beginning of the journey, and a team, trek the Himalayas trying desperately to find the families of his lost children before winter sets in. There is a tale of moral uplift as this young middle-class westerner finds a calling to help children in need in a remote, impoverished land. This is accompanied by an understated exploration of spirituality. But most of all, this is a love story. For it is his love for the children he encounters that sets Grennan on his life's new path, love for the corps of new friends with whom he shares his work and finally, love for a woman he meets via e-mail while he is in Nepal, a woman he believes will be the love of his life. (I always enjoy hearing of people who have met this way, having met my wife-of-ten-years on-line myself) He describes their impending meeting: "man walks twenty-seven hours in two days to get out of the mountains to meet girl who has just flown nine thousand miles for a visit." Not your usual first date.

At times, I was racing through the pages as if I were reading a Stieg Larsson, eager to see what happens next, and at others, I had to put the book down to wipe my eyes. You will be engaged, moved and uplifted. There really are good things happening in this world. There really are good people. And it is really good to be reminded of that.

I stumbled across a video re Grennan and the book, at http://www.youtube.com/user/NextGener...
It is a promotional piece, but captures well what the book is about.

PS – The copy I read was an ARE, so lacked some items that I hope will make it into the production version. Maps would help situate one in the geography here, and I really wanted to see photos of the places and people Grennan writes about.

PPS - The author graciously posted a comment about this. Maps and photos will indeed be in the hard cover.
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Jan 10, 2011 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: swapped-donated

Conor Grennan wanted to see the world. He thought it would be exciting and impressive if he volunteered at a children's home in Nepal for 3 months. Conor had little experience with children and little motivation to become truly involved in Little Princes, the home for illegally trafficked children. Little did he know all he would do to help these children.

As a mother, I'm skeptical when an author writes about pure happiness, joy, and smooth sailing when living with a large group of children. Of...more

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Oct 19, 2011 Jeannie Mancini rated it 5 of 5 stars

An Eye-Opening Window to Nepal

When Irish American Conor Grennan decides to take a whirlwind year-long trip around the world, he opts to spend his first three months volunteering at a children’s orphanage in Nepal. The instant he walked through the gates of Little Princes, he was mobbed by laughing little boys attaching themselves to his legs like leeches hungry for blood. Running, playing, giggling children swarmed Conor from the moment he arrived, so ecstatic to have a foreigner visiting them....more An Eye-Opening Window to Nepal

When Irish American Conor Grennan decides to take a whirlwind year-long trip around the world, he opts to spend his first three months volunteering at a children’s orphanage in Nepal. The instant he walked through the gates of Little Princes, he was mobbed by laughing little boys attaching themselves to his legs like leeches hungry for blood. Running, playing, giggling children swarmed Conor from the moment he arrived, so ecstatic to have a foreigner visiting them. For Conor it was love at first sight, although he was a bit terrified. Never had he spent time with children, never mind work with them for three months.

After settling in and getting to know the children of Little Princes, the facility high in the Nepali Himalayas, Conor finds he loves Nepal and all the hazards, poverty, and trials that come with it. In 2004 when he steps off the plane from America, a Maoist civil war is raging around him. Nepali villagers are hungry and starvation is a large problem. Winters are harsh in the Himalayas, the cold freezing climate hardens the people of Nepal as they eek out a meager existence and the food shortages of winter. However, impoverished people, little heat, border patrols, and starving children, still doesn’t put Conor off. For the next few months he digs in to help the facility and works with these charming love-starved kids with great enthusiasm. Rice bowl after rice bowl, Conor finds he has found his life’s calling.

Weeks into his assignment, through various sources, Conor learns that the kids of Little Princes are not really orphans. Shockingly the staff learns that these children were stolen. Child trafficking runs rampant in Nepal, thousands of children have been taken from their families. Parents are scammed by men who knock on village doors offering to take children away from the war, where they will be taken to a facility that will be safe from the danger, fed well, and schooled. Believing these men, parents pay high prices to keep their children safe only to be swindled. When months and years go by, both child and parents believe each other dead.

Conor and the staff at Little Princes are outraged to hear this disheartening news. Together they form a plan, gather resources, devise fund-raising programs, and ambitiously embark on a hell-bound mission to reunite these adorable imps with their mothers and fathers. Conor and his assistant Farid plan and complete mission after mission, endangering their lives as they hike through the treacherous mountains and locate one family after another hidden within the small villages of Nepal. Threatened by Maoist soldiers at gun point, locked in place by snow blizzards unable to keep moving, hiding themselves in family huts away from roaming militia, Farid and Conor never give up as one family after another are found.

This profound and eye-opening memoir is one of the best I’ve read yet. In the style of Mortenson’s Three Cups of Tea only much better, Little Princes is extremely heartwarming. Readers will fall head over heels with the kids who offer nothing but hugs and unlimited affection for Conor, and will not be able to put the book down once turning that first page that will take them on a journey they won’t forget. I laughed at the author’s dry sense of humor, I cried when these children both broke my heart and in turn made me smile. How these children persevered and knew unlimited joy during these times of chaos and crimes against them was simply beyond inspiring. Their faith in Conor, their playfulness and insight into his own heart when he falls in love, showed a level of uncanny intelligence and a depth of human compassion that will just astonish readers everywhere. This book is one of those that you say “Standing Ovation Please”!!!
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May 08, 2012 Meaghan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: adoption-fostercare, read-in-2010, memoirs

I admit I'm not really into stories that could be made into Lifetime movies, but for whatever reason this book really hit the spot for me. I think it's because I've always been fascinated with both orphans and the nation of Nepal. I had known of the war in that country but until I read Grennan's book I hadn't realize just how bad conditions were and how much people suffered.

But the book is not depressing -- just the opposite in fact. Grennan's descriptions of the children are often very funny (e...more

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Mar 22, 2011 Marialyce rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: march-2011, non-fiction

This was a wonderful tale of what one man can do in the face of adversity when one's mind is made up to help. In this case the man was Connor Glennan. This man thought he would volunteer at an orphanage in Nepal and though his original commitment was for three months, he just could not get these children's faces and problems out of his head. Therefore, after a year of trekking around the world, Connor returns to the Little Princes orphanage and makes a promise to find and reunite the original se...more This was a wonderful tale of what one man can do in the face of adversity when one's mind is made up to help. In this case the man was Connor Glennan. This man thought he would volunteer at an orphanage in Nepal and though his original commitment was for three months, he just could not get these children's faces and problems out of his head. Therefore, after a year of trekking around the world, Connor returns to the Little Princes orphanage and makes a promise to find and reunite the original seven children he had originally met and cared for the previous year. This turned out not to be an easy task. Nepal at this time ran rampant with child trafficking and the government was in denial and fighting off the Maoists. When Connor returns, he practically walks (well there was not much available traveling wise) into the rural areas of Nepal, looking for and photographing the parents and the children in hopes that he might bring the children home to the parents.

In the meantime, there were the various problems that Connor faced from the child kidnappers to the government inefficacy to the lack of paperwork surrounding these children and their parent. Many of the children had been enslaved for years and were told that their parents were dead and visa versa, the children were told their parents were gone.

The novel will make the reader realize that the situation of the children in so many third world countries is in jeopardy and there are many ruthless people who are more than willing to traffic in a young human life. Disgusting as this concept is, there seems to be little the government can do to control this overwhelming problem.

Mr Glennan has attempted through his work and his dedication in a small way to right the wrong that has been done to these children. He has successfully reunited children and their parents. Today, he runs a foundation that is dedicated to this cause. Anyone who does anything for the children of this world is honorable and admirable in my opinion and surely Mr Glennan is one to be looked at with praise for what he has done.(less)

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Sep 17, 2011 DubaiReader rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: vine, ew-pm-bk-grp, 2011

Shocking but beautiful.

This was an excellent book, certainly deserving of its comparison to Three Cups of Tea (Greg Mortenson).
From the start I liked the author and his self depreciating explantion for his visit to Nepal - a bit of volunteering would make the whole exercise of world travel, seem more valid. Little did he know what a profound effect the children would have on him.
He's a typical American lad when he arrives at the Little Princes Orphanage in Nepal, he has had no previous contact w...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is a remarkably warm and inspiring story of an endless war, a young man set out for adventure and the change in his life when he meets the victims of war-the children of Nepal. Connar Grennan had great plans to travel the world, have new experiences and enjoy all the excitement and pleasure he could find. But something happened that changed all that. He made a life changing decision when he volunteered to work with the displaced children in Nepal for three months. He chose to serve at the L...more

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Aug 08, 2012 Elizabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, audiobook, favorite-nonfiction, memoirs

The overall story of this book is actually pretty trite. A western man named Conner, who has thus far refused to grow up, decides to volunteer for 3 months at an orphanage in Nepal before going on a year long trip around the world. Once there he becomes attached to the children. During the course of the book he does wonderful deeds, learns lessons, finds a wife, finds a faith and saves the day.

But there is something you need to know… this book is hilarious. Really, really funny. I told a few of...more The overall story of this book is actually pretty trite. A western man named Conner, who has thus far refused to grow up, decides to volunteer for 3 months at an orphanage in Nepal before going on a year long trip around the world. Once there he becomes attached to the children. During the course of the book he does wonderful deeds, learns lessons, finds a wife, finds a faith and saves the day.

But there is something you need to know… this book is hilarious. Really, really funny. I told a few of the stories to my 7yo and he wants me to tell them again and again. Now that I’ve finished the book I plan to have my 7 yo listen to it as well as it is largely about the lives of children his age in another country and how their lives compare and contrast to his own.

It’s got some tough issues in it to though. Mainly that the children are not orphans but victims of human trafficking. There are children who were lost and when found are literally about to starve to death and have to be hospitalized. Conner does not go into any details on any abuses the children experienced other than beatings, starvation and neglect which is bad enough. But as an adult, I imagine he left out details that would make the book much more difficult to read and would have made it inappropriate for my 7 yo.

The book is full of information about Nepal, the culture, the cities and villages, the politics in an easily accessible way. You won’t be an expert on Nepal at the end, but you will at least have a frame of reference.

**EDIT** Also, spoilers
I added another star making 5. Very rarely do I have people come back and tell me that the book I recommended was awesome... and when they do it's books that I rated 5 stars. Within a few days of spreading the word on this book, I had people emailing me to tell me how much they were enjoying it.
Also, we started to listen to it again with my 7 year old. He calls the book "Conner Brother" (adorable). And just to make it more clear than I did in the review above, I expected the author to discuss the sexual abuse these children must have been exposed to and he did not. I want my son to understand that he won the lottery when he was born in the US but I don't want to expose him to themes he's not ready for. I appreciate that this book strikes the balance of being realistic without being graphic.(less)

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Jul 10, 2011 Dolly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of non-fiction

Shelves: 2011, nonfiction, nepal, washington-dc, india, china-chinese, education-school, thailand, czech-republic, france-french, favorites, biography, all-fairfax-reads, sri-lanka

Wow! What a story. I had heard of this book, but it wasn't until it was selected as the 2011 All Fairfax Reads book for the Fairfax County Public Library that I decided to read it. I have read several books about trying to save children in remote regions (ala Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time) and I must admit that it's a guilty pleasure when I read about good works that are going on in remote regions of the world. After reading these tales, I briefly...more Wow! What a story. I had heard of this book, but it wasn't until it was selected as the 2011 All Fairfax Reads book for the Fairfax County Public Library that I decided to read it. I have read several books about trying to save children in remote regions (ala Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time) and I must admit that it's a guilty pleasure when I read about good works that are going on in remote regions of the world. After reading these tales, I briefly consider what it would be like to do something similar, but then I find myself caught up in the daily routine of my own life. Perhaps someday when our girls are grown...

This story is so engaging...the hope for the children's future, the dangerous journey into the Humla region, the suffering and poverty of the Nepalese people, and the relief of finding the children...the emotions are so palpable, I found myself completely immersed in the story. Conor Grennan writes with such humor, humility and sincerity that I felt myself cheering for him with every small victory, laughing at his ineptitude with the language and culture of Nepal and crying for joy at the end of the book. The book drew me in so completely that I just really wanted to learn more about the children and I was intrigued enough to check out the website for the nonprofit that he created - Next Generation Nepal (NGN) to help these children. There, I learned more about the great things that are going on with the organization, almost four years since the end of the book. It's inspiring and I love that the mission continues.

interesting quotes:
"My mother must have had the patience of...well, of a mom, I guess."
(p. 35)

"They needed me not to tell them, right before they went to sleep, that my favorite food was their God on a bun. They needed me, for three months, to just make sure they were okay, fed, clothed, and bandaged up when need be. I was just a caretaker, but I needed to do that well. That would be a high enough bar for me without trying to change the world." (p. 43)

"Despite myself, I had become a parent to these kids - not because I was qualified, but because I had showed up." (p. 55)

"I could not imagine an American outside of the Marines talking about being duty-bound and honored in the service of his country." (p. 165)

[from an email by Liz Grennan] "This morning, on the crowded train to New York, a man in the row in front of me sneezed. The woman in the row behind me said "God bless you." He could not have heard her, since I barely heard her, and the train was packed. But the fact that she said it gave me a sense of the innate goodness of man." (p. 191)(less)

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Mar 24, 2011 Staci rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Staci by: Shelf Awareness

Shelves: 2011-reads

Why I wanted to read this book: I have often wanted to volunteer in another country and Conor's story sounded promising and intriguing. I wanted to know how Nepal and these children changed his life and the impact he made on theirs.

What worked for me:

* I was immediately and I mean immediately drawn to Conor's voice. His authentic self shined through page after page and I liked him immediately.
* He brought the orphans to life to me. I knew these children, I could hear their voices and laughter...more

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Dec 25, 2011 Youssif The father of Maha rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little princes is a book about a man who goes to Nepal for the first time,and immediately falls in love with the children.Later when he comes to Nepal again,he forms a group called NGN (Next Generation Nepal)where he tries to find the parents of the orphans.In the beginning the book was slow and boring,but in the middle it got exiting and dramatic.This is a book I recommend you should read as it is very touching,and sad but also very amazing.The book will make you bite your nails of how dramatic...more

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Mar 02, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow. This was an great inspirational story. Rating this a 4 only because it is a non-fiction. However, I could not put it down! I would recommend it to everyone. Conor initially volunteered for three months at an orphanage in Nepal to justify taking one year off and traveling around the world (and to impress women). It changed his life. His personal dedication and establishment of a non-profit organization to unite the children with their families and to reverse the child traffiking was amazing....more

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May 08, 2012 Paras Allana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, human-goodness, 52-countries-in-2012, memoir

I didnt put down this book until I finish it, in a figurative way. I liked knowing about little princes, about those kids and I loved the voice of the book, it was funny and seemed honest enough. But I have seen it before and hence I am cynical. So if tomorrow someone told me that like Three cups of the tea, this was exaggerated, I wont be surprised much.

So, till it proves me false, I'll categorize it in a human-goodness shelf, which I decided to create after feeling the weight of all the csynis...more

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Mar 13, 2011 Wisteria Leigh rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

LITTLE PRINCES[return]One Man� s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal[return]Conor Grennan[return]William Morrow[return]Memoir[return]February 2011[return]978-0-06-193005-8[return]$25.99, 304pages[return][return]When Conor Grennan left his full-time job and decided to travel for a year, little did he know his journey would end up consuming his life, heart and soul, with an incessant need to locate children of Nepal who he had made a vow to. Conor Grennan was 29 when he decided to vol...more LITTLE PRINCES[return]One Man� s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal[return]Conor Grennan[return]William Morrow[return]Memoir[return]February 2011[return]978-0-06-193005-8[return]$25.99, 304pages[return][return]When Conor Grennan left his full-time job and decided to travel for a year, little did he know his journey would end up consuming his life, heart and soul, with an incessant need to locate children of Nepal who he had made a vow to. Conor Grennan was 29 when he decided to volunteer to help orphans in Nepal, more as a means to impress than for any noble endeavor. Whatever his original intent, he ended up with a deep passion to save the children of Little Princes Orphanage who he believed he left behind in good care. [return][return]After three months of volunteering,Conor sets off to travel the world on a bicycle for a year. When he learns that the children he left behind, those he promised would be taken care of by nice people, were actually recaptured by the same child trafficker who took them initially, Conor becomes instantly sickened. He knows the children who came to trust him, now look at him with betrayal. [return][return]With an indomitable drive and no idea where to start, he researches how to start a non-profit organization. He knows he needs to raise money, because he is broke, he has spent his life savings traveling the world. He ultimately forms Next Generation Nepal (NGN) and freely admits, his purpose was to find the seven children he left behind. As he lectured and met people he raised money, and was able to return to Nepal to begin his arduous task of searching for his seven kids. Through his efforts, he and his associate in Nepal, Farid, were able to open Dhaulagiri House. Jointly, they set up the home that would accommodate twenty children. They were assisted by Gyan Bahadur from the Child Welfare Board in Kathmandu. They literally had to walk hundreds of miles to try and locate the children and families. During the early stages of their mission, they were caught up in the political unrest in Kathmandu between Maoist rebels and the king� s government, often life threatening. [return][return]In reading Little Princes, you will become aware of the child trafficking and the systemic issues in Nepal that create such terrible family separations. You read how easily children become slaves and families loose total contact with them. They believe they have handed them over to be educated, fed and a better life. This book has broadened my schema in so many ways.(less)

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Jan 26, 2011 Louise rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs

In his early twenties, Conor Grennan thought he’d take a year off work and travel around the world. However, he originally wanted to brag to young women that he was going to do something special during his year away like saving children and that’s exactly what he ended up doing. Little did he know at the time that his 2-week volunteer stint in Nepal would turn into two years!

These children were orphaned and Conor wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to get involved with a developing country in the m...more In his early twenties, Conor Grennan thought he’d take a year off work and travel around the world. However, he originally wanted to brag to young women that he was going to do something special during his year away like saving children and that’s exactly what he ended up doing. Little did he know at the time that his 2-week volunteer stint in Nepal would turn into two years!

These children were orphaned and Conor wasn’t exactly sure if he wanted to get involved with a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he soon came to learn that he felt more for these children than he thought he ever would. How could he walk away from these smiling children who were totally alone in the world and had come to love him so much.

The children weren’t really orphans but servants for families who child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war for huge sums of money and then lying and saying they would take their child(ren) to safety. The children would then be abandoned far, far from their original homes in the civil uprising of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

Conor soon found this bragging idea of his to be the adventure of his life when he becomes totally commited to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but it would be a very difficult job indeed. Conor would end up risking his own life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury to his knee and the threat of being snowed in, in the cold. Waiting back in Kathmandu was Liz, the woman who would eventually become his wife and share in his life’s work.

Conor sets up a home called “Next Generation Nepal” and did fundraising back in the United States to buy the home, furnish it with furniture, stoves, beds, blankets, and pillows for the children he hoped to house there. He figured he could accept approximately 26 children and all these children came to love Conor dearly. With a total of $6,000.00 raised he began to build the home.

Little Princes was an inspiring, stirring, moving page-turning adventure that you won’t be able to put down. Beating this novel for the top spot in 2011 will be difficult although I’ve already said that about one other book but believe that one now comes in second!!

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Apr 24, 2013 Stein rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: biographical, altruism, culture-asian

Here is an account of how a comfortably self-centred American, who had no experience with children, dives head and shoulders into an alien situation in which children are in desperate need of sustenance, care and comfort and he becomes their heroic rescuer. The book shows how a young man's awakening sense of duty and self-worth compels him to volunteer his time for a few weeks in a Nepalese orphanage. If it proves to be a boringly inconvenient waste of his time, he muses, at least it will earn h...more Here is an account of how a comfortably self-centred American, who had no experience with children, dives head and shoulders into an alien situation in which children are in desperate need of sustenance, care and comfort and he becomes their heroic rescuer. The book shows how a young man's awakening sense of duty and self-worth compels him to volunteer his time for a few weeks in a Nepalese orphanage. If it proves to be a boringly inconvenient waste of his time, he muses, at least it will earn him some bragging rights with his friends. But his experience soon has him converted to make a long term commitment to the plight of the children who are like sponges sucking up the love and attention provided by him and the other volunteers. By pure chance (or divine providence) an American woman, Liz, who is also involved with helping children, contacts him on the Internet. They soon exchange their ideas and experiences daily on the net. She visits Nepal and eventually, after he has spent three years in Nepal, they marry and settle in the U.S. where they continue to promote their organization in aid of the children.

Integral to the telling of Greggan's personal experiences is what we learn from him about Nepal's isolating geography, harsh climate, despotic politics, cruel child-trafficking and desperately deprived rural villagers. His description of the children's exuberance--even about the simplest things in life, their sense of playful humour and high jinx and their devotion to their culture and family ties is heart-warming. Greggan's own devotion to the children and his quest to reunite them with their parents is admirable. His realization of the importance of spiritual precepts for his own life, while working in Nepal and in conjunction with the flowering of his relationship with Liz, who is a Christian, is revelatory. The photographs in the centre of the book make the story come fully alive. Anyone who has interest in NGOs working with children and learning about the types of challenges faced by volunteers in foreign lands and cultures would enjoy this book.

The work could have had more depth by exploring social, economic, moral and religious questions. It tries hard to be neutral when situations beg for some stimulating questions or comments. A simple map of Nepal and the location of the regions and villages in the narrative would have been a welcome addition.(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Angie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved reading this book---how one person can influence so many people, especially children, by just being himself and putting in a whole lot of work. Conner Grennan was determined to help children in Napal (who were victims of child trafficking) to heal, receive education and be reunited with their families. He started out as kind of a wild, young adult, just wanting to impress others that he was going to volunteer at a third-world orphanage. Well, as he settled into his new life, he began to...more I loved reading this book---how one person can influence so many people, especially children, by just being himself and putting in a whole lot of work. Conner Grennan was determined to help children in Napal (who were victims of child trafficking) to heal, receive education and be reunited with their families. He started out as kind of a wild, young adult, just wanting to impress others that he was going to volunteer at a third-world orphanage. Well, as he settled into his new life, he began to have his eyes opened at how much these kids really needed him---and how much he needed them. I loved his description of them: "The children had become a constant presence, little spinning tops that splattered joy on everyone they bumped into."

I also appreciate the fact that he felt so inadequate to the task of taking care of children. He didn't know what to do---he'd never been around children before---however, he soon learned "Despite myself, I had become a parent to these kids---not because I was qualified, but because I had showed up." Sometimes that's all children need---they need someone to be there for them, to notice their accomplishments, to comfort them when they're sad, to share what they learn, etc. He learned great respect for the children of Napal. They had been taken from their parents and forcibly marched far away from their homes. They were often left as servants, without adequate clothing, food, shelter or medical care. But as they brought them into their homes the kids learned to laugh, study, play and show off like kids again. They were resilient and gave him hope---they "lifted every scrap of weariness I felt."

Sometimes it was difficult in helping the children who had suffered so much abuse and neglect. Often they would come to their centers as stone-faced and mute. Conner and his staff learned to be patient and give care to the best of their abilities and hope that their shell would crack. Often that took what Conner described as pouring out "love without expectation." You had to be genuine and you had to be patient. He also learned "Napali Time." The whole country operated at such a different pace than his American lifestyle, but he was often rewarded with greater success as he slowed down.

A remarkable & poignant story that was very well written! I loved how Conner got to know all the children. At first, he could only distinguish them by the clothing that they wore, but at the end, he knew their every feature by heart. At times the journey was quite rough and there was great heart-ache and despair. Conner had a great support system and my favorite companions were Farid and Liz. They learned through determination and a faith in God or greater Truth, amazing things could happen and opportunities opened up that at one point seemed impossible. Miracles do happen.(less)

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Mar 26, 2013 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club

One of the wonderful advantages of being in a book club is that it compels you to read genres outside your comfort zone. "Little Princes" by Conor Grennan was chosen by a club member, and when I learned it was non-fiction, a silent groan echoed in my mind. But, very often, we can be surprised by the choices of others, and that is how this book affected me. Conor Grennan was a young man working overseas who was a bit disillusioned with his life. He decided to take a year off and travel the world,...more

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Mar 02, 2013 Sanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

An inspiring book about a young man who went out into Nepal to do the right thing for the wrong reason. Thinking it would look good on his resume for prospective employers to see he had volunteered in an orphanage in Nepal for 2 months and impress, he found something completely different when he got there. The children gave him something that changed his life in ways no-one ever thought possible and he was hooked. He couldn't stay away and wanted to keep returning after his visa expired and he l...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Amy Z rated it 4 of 5 stars

LITTLE PRINCES by Conor Grennan is a story of families, hope, and other things that seem impossible during a civil war. Beyond all that, though, it is simply a tale of home, and the quiet, universal need to be loved.

When Conor Grennan signs up to volunteer at an orphanage in the middle of a civil war-torn Tibet, he doesn't really expect it to be, well, war-torn. Only, it turns out that the words “civil war” weren't just a decorative heading on the volunteer brochure—Tibet is a battleground for t...more LITTLE PRINCES by Conor Grennan is a story of families, hope, and other things that seem impossible during a civil war. Beyond all that, though, it is simply a tale of home, and the quiet, universal need to be loved.

When Conor Grennan signs up to volunteer at an orphanage in the middle of a civil war-torn Tibet, he doesn't really expect it to be, well, war-torn. Only, it turns out that the words “civil war” weren't just a decorative heading on the volunteer brochure—Tibet is a battleground for the royal family and the Maoist rebels, and the war has ripped families apart. Conor is reluctant from the moment he steps off the plane, and upon seeing the orphans he’s supposed to be taking care of (not to mention the “toilet” he’s expected to use), he begins to doubt whether he made the right choice in adding a I’m-doing-this-to-be-a-good-person-and-add-something-else-to-my-resumé prelude to his apologetically self-indulgent trip around the world.

He expected to be counting down days until he could leave the third-world country. He expected to be miserable. He never expected to fall in love with the children.

But he does. He finds himself marveling at their intelligence and optimism and, most of all, their strength. And when he finds himself flying out of Tibet, he realizes that all he wants to do is go back. Months later, he finally does, but when an attempt to bring seven trafficked children to safety goes horribly wrong, Conor, wracked with guilt, decides to make it his personal mission to return Tibet’s missing children to their families.

Arguably, Grennan’s main argument could be a number of things: the horrifying world of child trafficking and the means we must take to stop it, the reality of life in a third-world country that condemns our own pampered lives. However, I felt that the true claim of the book centered around the idea of home, and how humanity has an innate need to have a place to return to. Initially, he establishes this the idea of “home”—or rather, the lack of it—as a motif, reflected both in his own urge to travel away from somewhere he doesn’t belong and in the poverty-stricken setting.

"'Which home, Conor sir? Your home?”

“I don’t have a home yet, Gyan, you know that…”

“We do not have a home, either, Conor sir'" (119).

Little Princes set itself apart by focusing very little what the children don’t have. Grennan chose not to present them as impoverished, and as a result, unhappy. On the contrary, he portrays them as happier and far more satisfied than he was himself at the beginning of his journey. Instead, he draws the reader’s attention to their strength, even in the war-ravaged land, even separated from their parents, even after experiencing unimaginable horrors at the hands of the infamous child trafficker, Golkka, who is slowly gaining more and more throughout Tibet. He juxtaposes their resilience and their innocence, creating a heart-rendering book about how happiness—a home—isn’t defined by four walls and a bed, but by people you love.

"They wanted to remember these people who were crying over them, speaking a dialect they no longer understood, touching their faces and clothes, but they were little more than toddlers when they were taken from this place. Their families were strangers to them.
But the bonds ran deep. By the end of their first day home, all the children, young and old, were village children again…They no longer spoke of becoming astronauts or football players, but of becoming doctors and teachers in their villages. Their destiny had been set in motion, and it was back in Humla" (pg. 278).

Several fiction books share this idea of strength and yearning for a safe place, including Sold and Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick, who shares Grennan’s passion in helping lost children all around the world. However, while McCormick writes in simple, heartbreaking prose, Grennan’s voice ranges from ironic to devastatingly funny. Personally, I felt that this was one of the most successful aspects of the book—with a dry tone, Grennan conveys both his affection for the children and their ingenuity. All in all, he creates a story that is in turns beautiful, gut-wrenching, heartwarming, and hilarious.(less)

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Nov 04, 2012 Joanna Czupryn rated it 4 of 5 stars

Though found myself completely immersed in this biographical account of the author's adventures in Nepal, I think what affected me the most about this book was the transparency with which he presented the story. Conor Grennan was pretty clear with the fact that he did not end up in Nepal for purely unselfish nor humanitarian reasons. Yet, it was pretty clear from the outset of this novel that his perspective on the greater world, and his awareness of the positive effects that he could make on pe...more

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Oct 31, 2012 Beth rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book is the Stratford Library's "One Book, One Stratford, a community-wide reading event". Essentually, that means that the library is encouraging as many people in town as possible to read it. The author lives in Ct now but spent quite a bit of time during several years first as a volunteer in a Nepal Orphanage, and then in beginning one there himself by starting a non-profit organization. If anything, this book is a testament to what a person can do if goaded by their inner self to accomp...more

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Oct 24, 2012 Doris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I had great expectations for this book, as it was recommended to me based on my interests.

However, it didn't have the excitement it promised, seeming more like a travelogue than a story of one man's attempts to expand his horizons and improve the world. I was interested in finding out more about the way the orphanges are run, how they are established, and how they are staffed. I did enjoy the interplay between Conor and the children, but would like to know more of the individual stories of thos...more

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Oct 09, 2012 Evan Schryver rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Little Princes: Not What You Expected
The story of Little Princes is not what I expected it to be. Before even opening the book to the very first page, I thought I was going to learn about the journey of the main character and how this individual befriended orphans in a third world country. There was in fact more to the story than that. It reinforced the principal to me that life is not always what it seems to be. In addition to this, I realized that being faced with insurmountable problems, one...more Little Princes: Not What You Expected
The story of Little Princes is not what I expected it to be. Before even opening the book to the very first page, I thought I was going to learn about the journey of the main character and how this individual befriended orphans in a third world country. There was in fact more to the story than that. It reinforced the principal to me that life is not always what it seems to be. In addition to this, I realized that being faced with insurmountable problems, one person could still make a difference. With that being said, one must always look for positive aspects even during tough times.

We know that the author, Conner Grennan, faced incredulously difficult obstacles in trying to save the children of Nepal. In spite of this, he still managed to find relief during such hard times. For example, he met the woman who eventually became his wife, and in so doing, he took the time and effort just to meet her: "man walks twenty-seven hours in two days to get out of the mountains to meet girl who has just flown nine thousand miles for a visit." One can argue that it seems odd for the main character to be thinking about meeting a woman during such difficult times. However, when I think about my friend and teammate, Marcus Mitchell, I find it commendable that a person can find the good even in bad times. Six years ago, Marcus lost both of his parents. He was depressed at the time, but with encouragement from the Sun Youth Organization, he continued to find relief of his pain on the football field even in such challenging times, as did Conner. Both Marcus and Mr. Grennan demonstrated that one could still stay focused by finding relief when faced with overwhelming problems. Upon reflection, I believe the author’s search for happiness most likely allowed him to maintain his sanity in this war torn country.

There is no doubt that the odds were definitely against Mr. Grennan as the devil he faced was a corrupt system, which enslaved young children. Nevertheless, he continued to persevere despite the odds. For example, the author explains the following on page 156: “For safety reason, I told very few people I was going. Golkka was a powerful figure in Humla. We knew he had threatened physical harm against Anna Howe and others who put his operation in Kathmandu at risk. In the remote northwest part of the country, there was virtually no rule of law, and I would not have the protection of an international organization. He knew who I was. If he knew I was going to Humla, it would not be difficult for him to disrupt my mission, even to attack me openly.” This persistence reminded me of the main character in the book Soul Surfer. In that book, a young surfer loses her arm to a shark. Notwithstanding the odds that she faced, she too continued to face danger and persevere in her dream of becoming a professional surfer. I respect the strength of character in both these individuals and admire their bravery.

As I mentioned previously, life is not always what we expect it to be. Certainly, the parents of the so-called orphans did not expect that the man who promised to find safety and a better life for their children would actually attempt to turn them into child slaves. These parents gave up their children based on the assumption of honesty and integrity by a man who offered to help. A mother’s anguish is demonstrated as she learns of her daughter’s actual fate: “Amita’s mother had that look now: thrilled at the possibility of news of her daughter but terrified that the news might be bad, that her daughter might be sick or hurt or lost.” In my personal experience, I was recently surprised to learn of an incident of corruption in North America. More specifically, I learnt that approximately forty to fifty years ago, certain individuals in the United States government took it upon themselves to sterilize certain members of society whom they judged were “substandard”. I was shocked to learn of this corruption as I had preconceived notions that no system in North America would allow such corruption to take place. As the parents in the book were shocked to learn of the truth, I too was surprised and even more so, disappointed to learn about the corruption.

In conclusion, being a high school student required to carry out community service work, I expected that Little Princes would be another “Non Nobis Solum” themed book with few twists and turns. However, I was surprised to learn of the corruption that actually took place in Nepal and saddened to see that innocent children were the victims of such corruption especially in this day and age. It is heartbreaking for me to see that children anywhere in the world can become victims. Thankfully, I was uplifted by the positive conclusion to the story in that the children’s lives were saved and they were allowed to be reunited with their families. The saving grace for me in this book is that there are people in this world who will risk their lives for others despite the odds being faced by them. I was glad as well to see that in the midst of this terrible ordeal Mr. Grennan was able to find personal happiness in meeting the woman who would soon become his wife.
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Oct 08, 2012 Charles rated it 4 of 5 stars

Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to bring home the lost children of Nepal

A story like this one would already have a great storyline even if it was fictional, but the fact that this book actually describes a real perspective on the Civil War era in Nepal just makes this whole thing so much more interesting, but in a very good way! I would have been very scared if I was Conor, having to live in Nepal during a very dangerous time when there were Maoist soldiers everywhere and I could’ve easily let...more Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to bring home the lost children of Nepal

A story like this one would already have a great storyline even if it was fictional, but the fact that this book actually describes a real perspective on the Civil War era in Nepal just makes this whole thing so much more interesting, but in a very good way! I would have been very scared if I was Conor, having to live in Nepal during a very dangerous time when there were Maoist soldiers everywhere and I could’ve easily let something bad happen to the Little Princes or myself. But Conor kept his head held high, he kept his bravery throughout the whole journey, up to the very end, and he changed Nepalese lives all for the very better. If I had a thesis towards this book, I suppose that my thesis could be this: Has this book changed the life of a reader, possibly? It really takes a lot of commitment to do something like this. I’m really glad that I read this book because I was really interested by this book and it’s fascinations. I will certainly have many questions for Conor when he comes to visit the school, which I attend, during an assembly in the near future. I believe that “Little Princes: One man’s Promise to bring home the lost children of Nepal” has possibly reiterated something that I’ve been taught before, but it certainly helps to be reminded this moral. Anyways, the moral is this: Never give up on your hopes and dreams. Or something like that. Now, this is just reflecting my opinion on the book, but in comparison with Little Princes and the other English book I read during the summer; The Perks Of Being a Wallflower, I prefer the latter, personally because I can relate to the book better. It’s not very easy to try and connect Little Princes to my own life. The closest connection I can make is when I did community service at a learning center sometime during November 2011. Another thing, which I would like to mention is that Little Princes was a bit difficult to interpret. What I mean by this is that there are kids in the Little Princes house in Kathmandu, and then there are kids in something called the umbrella house, and then there’s Dhaulagiri house somewhere in Godawari, I think. But my point is that it’s hard to keep track of where all the kids are. But if anything, I believe that it’s closer to my target age audience than this book I read last year called The Heart Specialist, but it’s still a bit far off. Something else I would like to mention is that this storyline is superior to The Heart Specialist in my thoughts. And another thing, I really liked seeing the pictures because it gave me a better understanding of the people in the story. That was quite helpful. I guess that’s all for my review on Little Princes but I really wish that you enjoyed my review!
- Thanks for reading, Charles
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Oct 04, 2012 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think Conor Grennan’s purpose for writing Little Princes is to share the story that would forever change his life. It all started when Conor agreed to volunteer at the Little Princes orphanage in Kathmandu Nepal. Right away he became extremely close to the 18 children and after being there for 3 months, it was difficult to say goodbye. He decided then that he would come back in a year to visit the children. When he returned the second time, he later found out that the kids were not orphans at...more I think Conor Grennan’s purpose for writing Little Princes is to share the story that would forever change his life. It all started when Conor agreed to volunteer at the Little Princes orphanage in Kathmandu Nepal. Right away he became extremely close to the 18 children and after being there for 3 months, it was difficult to say goodbye. He decided then that he would come back in a year to visit the children. When he returned the second time, he later found out that the kids were not orphans at all but children who had been taken from their families by child traffickers. The child traffickers falsely promised to keep their kids safe during the war but really used them for a workforce and made a profit off them. A girl named Sandra found out what was going on and raised money to have the children be released, those 18 children then became the Little Princes.
The theme of the book, I think is to be thankful for what you have. Many of us take a lot of things for granted. Reading this book showed me how much I should be thankful for. The kids at the Little Princes orphanage are the happiest, energetic, loving kids, yet they have nothing. They eat with their hands, make their own toys, wash there clothes in a stream. It says the kids would put their dirty clothes in a plastic bag and when the bags tore, the children would find tape and repair them. Conor says “I thought of my local grocery store double-bagging a can of soda and felt another stab of guilt over my wastefulness.”
The style of Little Princes is a narration. It talks about the journey of returning the children of Nepal back to their families. A narration is a story that is told in chronological order. This is a narration because Conor shares his story of how he changed these children’s lives and how they changed his.
I really liked this book. It taught me a lot and definitely made me realize how much I have to be thankful for. It’s an inspiring story and everybody should read it. I liked how determined Conor was to return these children home and how he risked his life through it all. There’s nothing I would really change about this book because it’s just Conor sharing his story. It was very detailed and descriptive.
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Sep 20, 2012 Abbe added it

Shelves: in-library

Amazon.com Review

Product Description
In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctiou

...more Amazon.com Review

Product Description
In search of adventure, 29-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.

Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations.

An Amazon Exclusive Essay by Conor Grennan

How Taking Notes and Living without Indoor Plumbing Would Change My Life

When I was living in Nepal, I kept a notebook with me at all times. It was a small Nepali-made notebook—the brand name was Happy Days! or some such thing— and it made me smile every time I looked at it. I took it everywhere I went, and wrote in it often.

The children constantly asked me what I was writing, and I would tell them I was recording our conversations. That was true, but it was more than that. I was also recording everything I found strange in my new home. Like the fact that the kids chewed on chicken bones until they were practically dust, or that one of the boys, Santosh, had a digital watch which he’d borrowed from a friend that, along with displaying the hour, flashed “I Love You!” once per second.

There were times I was caught without my notebook, like in the middle of a soccer game when Dawa’s shot—destined for just inside the invisible right post—was blocked by the broadside of a cow, and I had to try to recall from memory the captivating debate over the role of livestock in team sports, and whether or not the goal should count. (It didn’t.)

Then, when the children would go to bed at 8 p.m., I would bundle up in two or three fleeces, a hat, and woolen gloves I had cut the fingers out of; I’d pull out my notebook and I’d sit down to write my travel blog, copying everything I had put into the notebook over the course of the day into an old, ultra-light Dell I’d bought off eBay for about 200 dollars. It was pretty much useless except as a word processor, but it was the most precious thing I owned. Over the next three years, traveling the globe and living in Nepal, I would end up typing just over half-a-million words on that little workhorse—five times the length of Little Princes.

It turned out that writing everything down in the moment was critical because the more time I spent in Nepal, the more normal these “strange” things became. It became normal to watch my blankets being made from scratch on the ground outside my house, to trade broken flip-flops for potatoes, and to use outhouses on a daily basis without thinking twice about it. (Did you hear that, people? Outhouses!)

The funny thing is, with all that note-taking, I never had any intention of writing a book about my time in Nepal. It honestly never occurred to me that it was a much of a story until someone else mentioned the idea to me.

Once I started writing the book, however, I couldn’t stop. I went back to my old notebooks and I was suddenly in Nepal again, hearing in my mind exactly how Hriteek had laughed, or Nishal had protested, or Raju had squealed as he’d run through the house, bare feet padding against the cold cement floors.

Little Princes, the book, allowed me to revisit that wonderful, difficult, challenging, happy time of my life. I still get back to Nepal, of course, and I still see the children. But they change, they grow up. Writing Little Princes allowed me to visit the children as they were. And also, as the person I was.

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. Grennan, who once worked at the East West Institute in Prague, embarked on a round-the-world trip in 2006, starting with a stint volunteering for an orphanage six miles south of Kathmandu. The orphanage, called the Little Princes Children's Home, housed 18 children from the remote province of Humla, rescued from a notorious child trafficker who had bought the children from poor villagers terrified of the Maoist insurgents eager for new recruits; the parents hoped to keep their children safe, but the children often ended up as slaves. Grennan was stunned by the trauma endured by these children, who he grew to love over two months, and after completing his world tour, returned to the orphanage and vowed not only to locate seven Humla orphans who had vanished from a foster home, but also to find the parents of the children in the orphanage. This required starting up a nonprofit organization in America, Next Generation Nepal, raising funds, buying a house in Kathmandu for the children's home, and trekking into the mountains of Humla to locate the parents. Grennan's work is by turns self-pokingly humorous, exciting, and inspiring. (Feb.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

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Sep 05, 2012 Joan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I hesitated to read this book because I don't like to read sad and hopeless books, but because it was a book club choice, I read it and was glad I did. This is a story of a man's dedication to children in Nepal from 1996 to 2006. He originally went there for a stint of a couple of months to help out in an orphanage. Nepal was going through a civil war and Maoist rebels had terrotized the country. Young children were taken from their families by rebels for a price and under false pretences. The f...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

It took me a while to pick up this book, despite hearing good things about it, because I thought it would be the same as Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time, except in Nepal with orphans.

It's so much better than that, especially given Mortensen's financial brouhaha (see Three Cups of Deceit: How Greg Mortenson, Humanitarian Hero, Lost His Way.)

Grennan quits his job at a European nonprofit to travel the world for a year. But he decides that he'll start...more

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