Before reading this novel, I had only heard of child trafficking in Nepal. I had no idea what was actually involved in it. Then, I read this novel. Not only did I get to educate myself on the global issues of child trafficking in countries, such as Nepal, but I felt as if I were actually seeing it for myself. Conor Grennan's descriptive language allows me to visualize Nepal and also experience the same feelings he has for these children. My first impression, when I had started reading this novel, was thinking this book was going to be just about Conor trying to make himself appear to be the hero in a Nepalese crisis, so he would be able to brag about this event in his life to others. His descriptions of the children, however, have convinced me otherwise. He had developed a father like relationship with all of the children and became commited to helping these 'orphans'. When he discovered they are not 'orphans' but are victims of child trafficking, he became obsessed with helping these children find their families and educating Nepalese families of the brutal conditions and experiences that can result from what they think is helping the lives of their children. Many of the international volunteers in Nepal never return to these children's homes because of the expences, time commitment, and danger from the Maoist rebels. Conor is unique from these volunteers because he maked it a personal goal to help these children reconnect with their families. He even hiked across various regions of Nepal looking for these families to show them their children are healthy and well. He feels rewarded simply by proving to these families their children are not harmed; however, he still has to talk about painful topics to these families involving what the children had endured with the child traffickers and what worse events could have resulted had they not been saved by the children's home. He not only returned to Nepal a second time, which is very unusual for volunteers, but he also founded the organization Next Generation Nepal. He is willing to dedicate both his earnings and time to help these children.
My impressions of Little Princes, as a responce to all of the events listed, is this book not only documents the journey of a hero who wants to save the lives of children in Nepal, but it creates awareness in all of its readers. Had I not read this book, I would not have known all of these events that occur in Nepal on a daily basis. This novel not only generates awareness to a now educated audience, but it also contributes to the foundation by stating on the back cover how "a portion of the proceeds from this book will go to Next Generation Nepal".
Another personal impression I received from this novel is feeling amazed at what the power of love can do to help others. All of this is possible because of the love Conor feels for the children of Nepal. I was unable to find pictures on his webpage; however, I did look through the pictures inside of the novel. Because I am able to look at these pictures, I can visual more of what is happening in Nepal. For example, I can see how much happier Amita is being taken care of by Farid and Conor than she is being held by the wife of the child trafficker. Also, I am able to see how Leena is so much happier in these homes. The caption of the picture in the novel says, "Leena, the girl who didn't speak for five months, sitting in Dhaulagiri House, happy at last". There are many other pictures which allow the reader to see how much Conor and his organization have impacted the lives of these children. I definitely recommend others to read this novel, so they can learn about the child trafficking crisis in Nepal and can see what a powerful impact love can make in the world.
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