A Long Way Home

Starred review from October 1, 2014

Separated from his older brother on an outing, five-year-old Brierley boarded a train that instead of taking him back to his home in rural India traveled over 1,000 miles to Calcutta. Unable to read and write or remember his hometown or his last name, Brierley survived alone for months on the harsh streets of the city, until he was eventually taken to an orphanage. The orphanage attempted to track down Brierley's family, but the task was impossible because of the distance he had traveled and his inability to describe his home. Though he was adopted by a loving couple in Hobart, Tasmania, Brierley never gave up hope that he would be reunited with his Indian family. With the advent of Google Earth, the author studied satellite images of India and after years of searching spotted the central business district near his hometown. Vikas Adam's rich voice and smooth delivery results in a polished performance of this miraculous memoir. VERDICT Recommend to all biography/memoir listeners, especially those who enjoy stories of families reunited against long odds.--Beth Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib.

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