Lion by Saroo Brierley

This is the true story of Saroo Brierley who grew up in a very poor family in India.  At the age of 5, he mistakenly boarded a train looking for his older brother and the train left the station.  Saroo was now on his own, not knowing where he came from or where was headed.  Where he ended up was in Calcutta, across the country from his hometown.  Now, at the age of 5 he had to survive on his own.  Twenty five years later, Saroo now an Australian upper middle class young man and very thankful for his upbringing, has never forgotten his Indian family and has always maintained a desire to find out where he had come from.  This is the story of his determined search and the miracle that the invention of Google Earth played in it.

This story was so good.  I could not put it down even though I had seen the highly nominated and award winning movie this year (or was it last year?).  Anyway, the movie was excellent and the book was too.  It boggles the mind that not only did this little five year old survive the ordeal of being separated from his family but that he survived on the streets of Calcutta until he was rescued and sent to an orphanage.  That he ended up adopted to an Australian couple whom he loves but that he determined even at a young age that he wouldn't forget any little detail he could remember is amazing.  How the whole journey of getting lost to the events that helped him to find his family is an absolute miracle.  He shares his story to give others hope to never give up.

I gave it a 10/10 high rating for readability, engagement level, how the story gripped me, did the story make me feel for the person(s) involved.   It checked all the boxes for an amazing true story.