I figured I should get some more Thai books in my library, and decided to read this per my mom's recommendation.
Lai Dong Jin was born into a beggar's family; his father is blind, his mom is (severely) mentally handicapped, which leaves him and his siblings to roam the streets for whatever they can get their hands on to feed his family. Usually, they end up finding rotten fruit scraps and moldy rice; enough for a family dinner around their "home," which is basically whatever cemetery they happen to come across in rural Taiwan.
Lai Dong Jin was able to enroll into a local school after his sister sold herself to the sex trafficking industry to support her family. It was Lai Dong Jin's responsibility now to work as hard as he could to finish school and support his family; a task he was determined to accomplish at whatever cost. He finished school with the highest grades in his class and went on to become the president of a company he worked at after he graduated.
Overall, an inspiring story that allowed me to reassess my own life and how "hard" I thought it was. It was nothing compared to what this guy went through.
The book featured by one of OJA-CCG member in a book club session, telling a story of a boy who was born a beggar's son, and lived a hard life, but with his constant endurance, he emerged as a successful business man at the end of the story. A good story for those who need working inspiration.