The Orphan Keeper by Cameron Wright
Youth Adaptation

I will preface this by saying I have yet to read the original version so I don’t know how it compares. However, this book has been on my TBR for years so when I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of the adapted version, I jumped on it.

The Orphan Keeper is a fictionalized story based on the real life experiences of a boy kidnapped from his family in India and then adopted by a couple in the United States.

I wish I had read the story sooner! It is so good. It’s hard to grabble with my feelings on this one. Losing a child is a mother’s worst nightmare. What Taj experienced, horrible. And while it could have been so much worse, that doesn’t discount the awfulness of the situation. Torn from the only home you’ve ever known and taken across the globe to entirely new culture where there’s not a single person who looks like you or speaks your language, would be enough to break anyone. But this story is laced with faith and filled with hope. Truly breathtaking.

The story felt a little disjointed at times and I still have a few questions but the writing is beautiful and the journey worth it.

Content: poverty, theft, kidnapping, death

The Orphan Keeper is now thankfully in Young Adult format and is a wonderful, wonderful true story about a young boy from India who was kidnapped, sold to an orphanage and then sent to America to live with his adopted parents. The writing is gorgeous, the details are rich and emotive and the story itself is incredible! It took my heart on a roller coaster ride and entranced me the entire time. Not only is the kidnapping story one of terrible heartache but also of fierce determination, cultural and racial attitudes of the main character and others, what family means and the promise of hope. Though geared for youth, I enjoyed it tremendously as an adult.

Chellamuth was born in India. Described in detail are his parents and home life, one of poverty. He was kidnapped at the age of eight and sold to an orphanage. He was then sent to live with his new adoptive parents in America where his life could not be more different. Even his name changed to Taj for ease. Eventually as a teen and young adult living on his own in London he believed himself to be Indian in colour only. He started having flashbacks and with the woman of his dreams was compelled to returned to India to find his family and roots.

My favourite aspects of the story are multi-fold including learning more about India's culture, reflecting on the horrible reality of kidnapping there, the writing style, suspense and the vivid details. The photographs and letters are a lovely personal touch as are the author's notes of what happens after.

My sincere thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this extraordinary book, one that should be on every reader's list!

#TheOrphanKeeper #NetGalley

I've read the adult and young reader edition of The Orphan Keeper. The story is well written, and held my interest. The story is told by Chellamuthu, is an eight year old boy from, India. When Chellamuthu is kidnapped, an taken to an orphanage, he tries to tell the director that he has a family, but he won't listen. He is adopted in the United States. I love that there are so many life lessons to be learned.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This talks about something that happens every day kidnappings. I absolutely enjoyed Chellamuthu's character. This book is fast paced and set in India and in America. I enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book will be in stores on October 4th for $17.99 (USD).

This book is based on a true story and just speaks to all. Taj is trying to find his family roots and it brings his back to childhood where he was kidnapped and sold to an orphanage. I enjoyed this book and love that there is version for younger readers available so I can share with my middle schooler. This book spoke to me as much as the first time I read it.

I enjoyed the full circle effects of this book, and liked the storyline itself. I would have liked to see more of Raj's childhood year while in American, but the story was quite heartwarming. I feel like the writing is good for this kind of story (historical fiction/based on true events) and I feel that Camron Wright did justice to Chellamuthu"s life and his story.

This book was an interesting story set in a wonderfully expansive world. I loved getting to experience this story. In this world you will find twists and turns around each corner.

This book was really, really emotional, and it opened my eyes to a problem that I wasn't even aware the world had (seriously, I truly didn't realize it occurred).

Chellamuthu is barely 8, but with his parents working tirelessly to make ends meet, he's able to get up to a lot of mischief. One day, as a consequence of his misadventures, he gets kidnapped and sold to an orphanage - where no one will believe that he has an actual family. And from there, he's off to the States via adoption. No one in the USA understands him, and what's more, he's bullied because of his dark skin. By the time we fast forward to 10 years later, he's completely forgotten his heritage - his dark skin is the only indication he's not American-born. Now known as Taj Rowland, he's a rebellious teenager intent on finding his place in the world. With his journey of self-discovery comes a series of misadventures and a truly satisfying and emotional conclusion.

Multiple times have I come close to crying - and actually have shed a few tears. The author does an amazing job of turning Chellamuthu/Taj's biography into an incredible and compelling story filled with lush details. He makes the story so heartfelt and moving, and I truly hope that this book raises more awareness to such a serious cause.

Note: I think the cover looks better suited for a fantasy. I love it, but I just don't think it represents the book very well.

*4.4 stars

This is the true story of Taj Rowland, formerly Chellamuthu Gounder. He was from a poor family in India until one day he was kidnapped off the street of his village and taken to an orphanage. From there he was adopted by a family in the U.S. at the age of 8 and grew up as a middle class American kid.

In his late teens to early twenties Taj began experiencing random, vague flashbacks of memories from his early childhood. He wanted to capture those bits of his youth and create a map of his early home in hopes of one day finding his birth family. Meanwhile he completed college, met the girl of his dreams and started an import business.

“The Orphan Keeper” is an emotional tale about a child who was ripped from his childhood home and dragged halfway around the world to a place where he didn’t speak the language or even look like anyone else. He managed to excel at life, thanks in large part to a wonderfully supportive adoptive family, and today is a very successful businessman with a large extended family. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for my voluntary honest review. I was very moved by this story and impressed by the resilience of Raj.

Every once in a while you come across a book that helps you realize what a blessed life you lead.

This edition of The Orphan Keeper was written as an adaptation for young readers. It follows the life of Chellamuthu, a young Indian boy who is very good at getting into trouble. Because of some of his associations, he is kidnapped and adopted by a family in the United States.

This story is really about hope. His mother in India prays for her lost son, while his family in the United States gives him an education that eventually helps his family in India. I felt good as the story came to its conclusion.

This book will take children on an adventure in India, to a childhood in the United States, and to school in London. I am reminded of the chorus to the song "The Circle of Life."

Source: I received a complimentary copy. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own,

this book is fascinating, engaging and thought provoking. The insights into Indian culture and tradition as well as folklore and superstition is so beautifully woven into this story making it not just about a boy stolen from his family but also highlights real world issues. The twists and turns are like a roller coaster. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read this story!

When eight year old Chellamuthu is taken from his home in India he is quickly adopted by a family in America, little do they know that Chellamuthu is not an orphan at all: he was kidnapped. Meanwhile back in India Chellamuthu's parents are looking everywhere for him, he his mother is visiting plenty of spiritualists, one of which telling her that Chellamuthu will one day return home.

Over the next few years Chellamuthu now re-named Taj has forgotten major details about his life in India despite people telling him he looks Indian he insists he is American through and through but when he visits London he stays with an Indian family and has the pleasure of eating curry which he realizes tastes somewhat familiar, slowly over time his life in India starts to come back to him. Thoroughly enjoyed this book which is interesting because I do not often read true stories. I would recommend this book although I did struggle to follow the story line at times, but that might have been because this book was making me turn to pages until way past my bedtime. Another complaint is that after reading this book I realized is the cover has no link to the story and the title The Orphan Keeper is an interesting choice as very little time is spent at the orphanage. Although there is a tiny bit of humour in the book it wasn't really necessary to the story and was only occasionally funny.

Going into this I was expecting a completely different story so it is safe to say that this story exceeded my expectations. Very quick to read and filled with suspense. If true stories are your thing or even if there not I recommend giving this book a change because in my opinion it was massively fun to read.

This book is apparently a younger reader's retelling of a book of the same name which is a retelling of a real story, pretty wild huh? By the same author who wrote The Rent Collector which I also read as an ARC. Chellamuthu is a young boy living in southern India when one day he's kidnapped and driven to a Christian orphanage. Through there they get him adopted by a loving couple in the US who wanted a girl, but they send this boy instead. Chellamuthu has a hard time there as he's separated from his family, and his new parents don't know that he's been kidnapped and isn't really an orphan. They also change his name to Taj as it's simpler... He grows up as the only Indian boy for miles and becomes pretty popular and deosn't want to connect with his culture and sees himself as white on the inside. But a study abroad program in London changes him and he starts on a crazy quest to find his home and biological family.
I'd say it's pretty much very similar to the movie Lion story-wise, and it's crazy because they're both actual true stories of Indian kids losing to some western country and then wanting to find their way back. What are the coincidences?
The story is pretty quick and fast-driven, which I guess works for younger peeps? But some things felt so rushed, which was annoying. It took me just three days of half an hour reading to finish... I didn't really like his personality as a young adult much, but hey, he was an actual human so I can't say anything about that, lol.
I had the same concerns as for The Rent Collector book... it just feels weird having some white American dude write and earn money from stories of actual people... and the way he writes America feels pretty supremacist, especially in the Rent Collector, while here it's pretty stereotypical... India is written and described as pretty stereotypical, in the way that the media and Hollywood show it, and not really how it is to actual Indians, and it made me a non-Indian person a bit uncomfortable. I wouldn't want anyone to write my country incorrectly and stereotypically either... but I guess the real Chellamuthu/Taj did agree for his story to be told by this author so...
Anyways the story is inspiring and interesting, if you want these kinds of true stories where their dreams come true and whatnot, I recommend this one!

I would first like to thank Netgalley for granting me permission to read the early release of the book The Orphan Keeper by Camron Wright. The Orphan Keeper was such a compelling story and the fact that is based on a true story makes it even more incredible. It has elements of just about every genre in it: Action/Adventure; Historical Fiction; Multi-Cultural Fiction; Mystery Fiction; Romance Fiction; Realistic Fiction and Biography/memoir. It's horrifying to realize that this situation actually happens on a daily basis in India, but, alas, it does. The very beginning of the book was able to explain the psychological trauma that poor Chellamuthu went through just to survive the whole ordeal. It was heartbreaking to read about. It was interesting to see how that trauma affected him when he became a teenager. The search for his home and his family was intense. Once I reached that part of the book, I could not put it down. I was so invested in the characters that I did not want to wait for the reunion, and I just kept reading the book as fast as I could. The ending was a complete full circle to the story. The book also contained pictures at the end of the story which was just the icing on top of the cake. I loved seeing the photographs of the actual people the characters were based on. This book was the young adult adaptation, so it was written for a younger audience. I would recommend this book to anyone from middle school and above and would give this book a Five out of Five stars.

What an amazing story of persistence and following your 'map'. Chellamuthu/Taj's story is incredibly beautiful. It is all about love of family, love of others, cultures that are different and friendships that last through thick and thin. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. That it was based on reality is mind blowing. To me this reaffirmed that God is in the details of our lives.

Knowing that this is the -mostly- true story of Chellamuthu (Taj Rowland), makes everything I read that much more heart wrenching. Camron Wright does an incredible job of sharing the story of an "orphan" adopted from India and raised in America. I read the whole story in one day -- I just couldn't put it down until I found out how it ended for poor Chellamuthu and his family.

I definitely want to read the adult version of this story now!

This book tells the novelized real life story of the main character. First published in 2017 as an adult novel, it has now been adapted for young readers, the version I read. I think it worked well as a young readers version although perhaps some of the things that I found just average about the plot and the characterization could come from a possibly simplistic adaptation. Having not read the original version, I do not know if this is true or not.
This book can be split into two primary portions, childhood, and young adult years. The main character loves his family but struggles in the endemic poverty of his small Indian village as well as the alcoholism of his father. One day he finds himself kidnapped by people who work for a Christian orphanage many hours away and through this, even though he repeatedly tells people that he has a family, ends up adopted by a couple in the United States. The second half of the book picks up as he is about to head to college and finds himself in a study aboard program in London and through an interesting turn of events returning to India and finding his birth family.
This book read quickly. I did not mind the read but I did not really feel challenged in any way either.

The Orphan Keeper is a tender, thought provoking story based on true events. I enjoyed reading about Chellamuthu's journey from an Indian orphanage after being kidnapped, to his new home in the US. The novel gave an interesting insight into the dark side of international adoptions and how organizations sometimes exploit the children they purport to protect. Overall, an enjoyable read and highly recommend.

Seven-year-old Chellamutha is living in abject poverty with his family in India when one day he is kidnapped, sold to an orphanage, and ultimately adopted by a family in America. Over time Chellamutha, (who is renamed Taj) forgets is childhood in India and although loved and treated well by his adopted family, he never feels he belongs. It is only after attending college abroad in London and living with an Indian family that he starts to put the puzzle pieces of memory together. Based on a true story, readers are taken on a journey of self-discovery, the importance of family and finding one’s place in the world. Dealing with the very real problem of human trafficking, it’s not a light read, but a very important one. Thank to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an E-Arc in exchange for an honest review,

NOTE: I was given early access to this manuscript in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing. Scheduled Publication: October 4, 2022.

An important clarification. This review references the YOUNG ADULT version of a longer adult novel by the same name, THE ORPHAN KEEPER, that was published in 2016. And I, for one, am glad this story is now accessible to a younger audience.

Based on a true story (there are photos at the end of the book), the novel tells the story of one child in India who is adopted and raised in the United States. Chellamuthu’s transition from Indian poverty to American middle class isn’t what you might expect. Though not a victim of physical abuse or mistreatment, Chellamuthu’s is a victim of clandestine and economically-driven adoption practices that unfairly uproot a powerless seven-year-old boy, who just happens to be in the wrong place and the wrong time.

It’s a rich and at times suspenseful story about someone who struggles with identity and often feels like an outsider. About his internal struggle between two cultures and about a young person trying to reckon two parts of oneself. There’s a protagonist that is easy for younger readers to identify with and the novel raises some challenging questions to ponder about diversity, race, and identity. Not to mention the issues involved in adopting a child of a different racial or cultural identity.

This is a plot-driven book with plenty of action that follows Chellamuthu from child to adult. It would be an excellent book to assign to a middle school class to read and discuss as a group.