Author(s): Saroo Brierley

Biography & Autobiography

Can you imagine being lost and not finding your way home again?Saroo Brierley became lost on a train in India at the age of five. Not knowing the name of his family or where he was from, he survived for weeks on the streets of Kolkata, before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a family in Australia.Despite being happy in his new home, Saroo always wondered about his origins. He spent hours staring at the map of India on his bedroom wall. He pored over satellite images on Google Earth seeking out landmarks he recognised. And one day, after years of searching, he miraculously found what he was looking for.Then he set off on a journey back to India to see if he could find his mother.This inspirational true story of survival and triumph against incredible odds is now a major motion picture starring Dev Patel, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman.This edition has been specially edited for younger readers who want to discover Saroo's extraordinary story for themselves.

Saroo Brierley became lost on a train in India at the age of five when he was separated from his older brother. Not knowing the name of his family or where he was from, he survived for weeks on the streets of Kolkata, before being taken into an orphanage and adopted by a family in Australia.

He had a very happy childhood but always wondered about his origins and spent hours poring over a map of India. With the advent of Google Earth, he now had satellite images to search in an effort to find landmarks near his Indian home that he might recognise. After years of searching he finally discovered his home town and, 25 years after leaving India, he returned to find his mother and siblings.

The recent movie of Saroo’s amazing story has been adapted from his 2014 autobiography A Long Way Home and stars Dev Patel, David Wenham and Nicole Kidman. Currently on at New Zealand cinemas, it's receiving rave reviews and has been nominated for six Academy Awards. Dan Slevin gave the film an excellent review on Radio New Zealand.

This young reader’s edition of his book has been edited so that it is perfect for fans of true life stories aged 10 plus.

- Ruth