“Yeah, I think I can.”
Acknowledgments
This book exists because a group of children in Nepal welcomed me into their world. They were my wards, my friends, my translators, my teachers, and often my lone source of entertainment when I lived in Nepal. They remain, today, my brothers and sisters, and I will be forever indebted to them. Farid Ait-Mansour was an equal (if not greater) partner in this adventure. I have never met a man with a stronger desire to do what was right for those less fortunate. He is my hero.
I want to thank the team at William Morrow for their passion, enthusiasm, and hard work in bringing this book to life. I especially want to thank my editor, Laurie Chittenden, for seeing into the heart of the story and bringing out the very best in it and in me.
Trena Keating, my agent, has been a phenomenal advocate, editor, and friend from the very beginning, and reassured me every step of the way that yes, really, honestly, there would be people who would want to read this book.
My mother, along with the rest of my family, was always incredibly generous, loaning me money so that I could remain in Nepal even when my savings had expired. During the writing process, my father, the poet Eamon Grennan, worked his magic during the editing process, while my stepmother, Rachel Kitzinger, an accomplished writer in her own right, lent me her apartment so I could have a quiet space to work. Itay Banayan and my other classmates at the world’s greatest business school, NYU Stern, helped me through the most intense classes each semester, knowing that I was working on this manuscript.
Last, I simply could not have written this book without the enduring love, support, and editorial assistance of my wife, Liz. May every author be so blessed to have such a companion.
Index
The pagination of this electronic edition does not match the edition from which it was created. To locate a specific passage, please use the search feature of your e-book reader.
abuse: of children, 266
Adil (orphan), 240, 241
Agrim (orphan), 268
Agulla, Charlie, 62, 159, 245
Ait-Mansour, Farid
appearance of, 18, 64
Bahadur’s meeting with Conor and, 90–91
bandha explanation of, 31
and bedtime at Little Princes, 35
and Bishnu’s search and rescue, 241, 254, 257
as Buddhist, 243–44, 246–47, 248, 263, 266
children’s relationship with, 68–69, 79, 81, 141, 244, 245, 273
and Conor learning Nepali, 22–23
in Conor’s apartment, 243
and Conor’s arrival at Little Princes, 18
and Conor’s departure from Dhaulagiri House, 273
and Conor’s departure from Nepal, 274–75
Conor’s first meeting with, 18
and Conor’s Humla trip, 151, 156, 158, 159, 160, 161, 162, 208
and Conor’s leaving Little Princes, 53, 55, 93–94
and Conor’s Nuwakot trip, 262–63
and Conor’s promise to return to Little Princes, 55
and Conor’s questions about food, 65–66
Conor’s relationship with, 72–74, 102–4
and Conor’s return from Humla, 219, 225, 226
and Conor’s return to Little Princes, 64
and Conor’s return to the United States, 263
decision to open children’s home by, 109
decision to return to Nepal of, 102, 103–4
as Dhaulagiri House manager, 155
and disappearance of seven children, 102, 103
e-mails between Conor and, 99, 100, 108–9, 135–36, 137
and families’ visits to Umbrella homes, 240–41
and finding NGN home, 140
and finding of seven children, 135, 137, 138
food interests of, 73, 74
and garbage can incident, 20
and Golkka’s visit to Little Princes, 39, 41
at Hindu festival, 65–66
and hospital visit, 36–37
and Howe as NGN replacement for Conor, 269–71
and impact of civil war on Little Princes, 70, 71
and Jablo incident, 141–42
and Karya, 109
Khumbu region trip of, 267–68
and Kumar’s father’s telephone call, 241
and launching of NGN, 105, 106, 108–9
and Leena, 229, 244, 245, 261
Little Princes visits of, 156, 158
and Liz-Conor relationship, 263, 265–66
and Liz’s visits to Nepal, 160, 243, 261
and Maoist rebels interest in Little Princes, 71–72
and Maoist rebels kidnapping of children, 71
and memories of civil war, 274–75
and mother of Nuraj and Krish, 74–81
and names of children, 23
and Navin’s father, 218
and “Nepal time,” 268
and opening of new NGN home, 141
personal background of, 73–74
rescue of children by, 227–30
and return of Little Princes children to Humla, 277–79
return to France of, 93, 100, 274–75
return to Nepal of, 115, 138, 141
and Sandra’s trek to Mugu region, 47–48
and Santosh’s illness, 50, 53
search for families by, 266–67, 268–69
and setting up Dhaulagiri House, 142–46
and seven children with Nuraj’s mother, 83–89, 92, 93–94
and shampoo incident, 24–25
and spiders, 68–69
as teacher, 32, 33
and Umbrella Foundation, 92
Alex (volunteer), 61, 62
Amazon River: Conor’s trip on, 62
Amita (orphan)
appearance of, 86
and camera, 88
Conor first meets, 86, 87
Conor’s good-bye to, 271
and Conor’s return from Humla, 225
at Dhaulagiri House, 145
disappearance of, 101, 102, 184
finding of, 125–28, 183, 270
mother of, 183–85, 186
with Nuraj’s mother, 86, 87, 88, 130, 183
search for, 107, 120, 270
in Thangkot, 126–27
at Umbrella Foundation, 128
Anish (orphan)
appearance of, 25–26
bedtime for, 22
and Bollywood movie incident, 121
Conor playing with, 28
and Conor’s first night at Little Princes, 22
and Conor’s leaving Little Princes, 53, 54, 55, 93
Conor’s memories of, 61
and Conor’s promise to return to Little Princes, 53, 54, 55
and Conor’s proposal to Liz, 265
and Conor’s questions about food, 66
and Conor’s remembering names of children, 26
and Conor’s return from Humla, 237–38
English homework assignment of, 32
family of, 176–78, 179–80, 237–38
and garbage can explanation, 21
and questions about American food, 42
questions about water and distance of, 67–68
and search for Raju’s socks, 30–31
apartment, Conor’s Kathmandu, 146–51, 155, 224–25, 243, 271
apples: in Humla, 157–58, 213, 230
Arbaugh, Josh, 109
Bagwati (cook at Little Princes), 31, 35, 66–67, 68, 72, 93, 239
Bahadur, Gyan
and Amita, 127
and Bishnu, 241, 248–53, 256
Conor and Farid first meet, 90–91
Conor’s relationship with, 115, 136–37
and Golkka, 90–91
jurisdiction of, 115–16
and Kumar, 134–38, 140
and rescue of children at Dhaulagiri House, 127, 134–48, 227–28, 248–53, 256
and search for seven children, 115–20, 129, 228
and seven children with Nuraj’s mother, 90–91, 92
in Thangkot, 127–28
and Tilak, 253–54
and Umbrella Foundation, 92, 115
Bahadur, Min
Conor says good-bye to, 200
on Conor’s Humla trip, 165, 166, 168, 169, 172, 182–83, 191–92, 195–96, 200, 239
Lali trip of, 195–96
as UNICEF staff member, 165
Bali: Conor in, 62
banana example, 162
bandha (Maoist-instigated strike), 30–32, 72, 74, 78, 81, 82–83, 89
bank manager: and Bishnu rescue, 249–56
Basinati (orphan), 140
bathing, 24–25
bedtime: at Little Princes, 22, 34–36, 42–43, 53–54
beggers: children as, 62–63
Bell, Viva
and Conor-Liz relationship, 260, 261
e-mail about seven children from, 100–102
and families’ visits to Dhaulagiri House and Umbrella homes, 240
finding of Jagrit by, 157
and finding of Kumar, 137–38
and finding the seven children, 128, 132, 133, 137–38
and founding of Umbrella Foundation, 91–92
and Jagrit’s first meeting with Conor, 132
monkey stories of, 149
and NGN children’s home, 139
personal and professional background of, 91–92, 107
and search for seven children, 114–15, 116
Bible, Conor’s, 246, 247
Bikash (orphan), 33, 75, 113, 161, 172, 173, 179, 273
biking: and Conor’s round-the-world trip, 60–62
Birendra (king of Nepal), 69
Bishnu (orphan)
Conor’s good-bye to, 271
disappearance of, 101, 102
as domestic slave, 249
rescue of, 248–57
saving a Dhaulagiri bed for, 146
search for, 107, 120, 134, 228, 241
Bistachhap (village), 9–13, 24, 90
blankets, making, 143–44
Bokche Ganda (Humla shelter), 169–70, 214
Bolivia: Conor in, 62
Bollywood movie incident, 121–22
Buddhist stupas, 148–49
Buffalo-induced panic attack, Conor’s, 181–82
Buk, Jacky
appearance of, 92
and Bishnu’s rescue, 248–56
call to mayor of Kathmandu by, 255–56
and disappearance of seven children, 101
and finding of Amita, 128
and Jagrit’s first meeting with Conor, 132
and Liz-Conor relationship, 260
and NGN children’s home, 139, 140
rescue of children by, 128, 227–30, 248–56
role in Umbrella Foundation of, 92
and search for seven children, 114, 115, 116
buses: in Nepal, 44, 70, 125–26
Cambodia, 61
camera incident, Conor’s: with seven children, 87–88
camoflage jacket, man in, 186–87
carrom (game), 27–28, 68, 79
cars: building toy, 38–39
caste system, 45–46
Caylor, Beth, 150, 159, 219–20, 223, 224, 225–26, 229, 235, 236
Caylor, Kelly, 62, 150, 159, 219–20, 223, 224, 225–26, 229, 235, 236
Cecile (volunteer), 70, 71
CERV Nepal (volunteer program)
Conor with, 15, 90
Conor’s doubts about volunteering for, 16
Conor’s motives for joining, 6–7
orientation for, 8–13, 17
and return of volunteers, 53
See also Little Princes Children’s Home; specific person
Charlottesville, Virginia: NGN story in newspaper in, 109–10, 122
child trafficking
Conor and Farid’s underestimation of amount of, 89
during civil war, 40, 70–71, 84, 189
and expansion of Maoist rebels, 76–77
families as aiding in, 267
and gender, 86
in Humla district, 76–81
Kathmandu Valley as epicenter for, 115–16
and mission of NGN, 105–6
and rescue of children at Dhaulagiri House, 227–28
See also Golkka; specific child
Child Welfare Board, Kathmandu, 41, 90, 101, 115, 248
children
abuse of, 266
as beggers, 62–63
civil war knowledge of, 70
Conor’s attempt to open up to, 42–43
and Conor’s promise to return, 55
families reluctance to take, 266–67
Farid and Buk’s rescue of, 227–30
independence of, 68
Liz’s relationship with, 244–45, 249, 259, 260
memories of Humla district of, 81, 161
questions about Conor’s marriage of, 93, 113–14, 259–60, 265–66
questions about Conor’s return of, 53–54
resilency of, 42
responsibilities of, 93
reuniting families with, 266–67, 268
in Ripa, 179
Sandra’s attempts to get news about families of, 47–49
in Shreenagar, 202–3
as survivors, 113
as taking care of one another, 134
as talking about their parents, 80–81
See also Dhaulagiri House; Little Princes Children’s Home; seven children; Umbrella Foundation; specific child
Chris (volunteer), 18, 32, 46, 47
Christianity: Conor’s views about, 128–29, 246–47
civil war, Nepal
ceasefire in, 69–70, 204
child trafficking during, 40, 70–71, 84, 189
and Conor’s arrival in Kathmandu, 5–6
and Conor’s decision to volunteer, 5
and elections, 82–83
escalation of, 46–47, 69–70, 81–83, 89, 99–100
and Everest Base Camp region, 15
memories about, 274–75
outbreak of, 46
peace agreement in, 158, 166
and Sandra’s trek to Rara Lake, 46, 47
truce in, 105
U.S. news about, 97–98, 99–100
See also bandha; Maoist rebels
CNN: Nepal news on, 99, 100
Conor. See Grennan, Conor; specific person or topic
cows: questions about eating, 42–43
Dalits, 45–46
Dasain (Hindu festival), 125
David (Scottish volunteer), 211–13, 214
Dawa (orphan), 33, 36–37, 68, 129, 273
D.B. (ISIS volunteer)
and Amita’s mother, 184–85
Conor first meets, 124, 270
Conor says good-bye to, 200
and Conor’s Humla trip, 161, 163, 164–68, 171–72, 173, 174, 175, 179, 184–85, 187, 190–91, 192, 198, 200
and Conor’s plans to visit Humla, 158
and Jagrit’s family, 190–91
and Maoist permission for Humla trip, 166–68, 203
Rinjin as brother-in-law of, 164
and teams for Humla trip, 164–65
death certificates: for Jagrit’s parents, 157, 188–89, 194, 230
Depak (CERV Nepal employee), 9
Devaka (house mother), 271
Devendra (CERV worker), 90, 91
Dhananjaya (WFP worker), 198, 200, 201, 203–8, 209
Dhaulagiri House
addition of children to, 219
blackout at, 244
Conor and Farid’s decision to open, 109
Conor has missing children at, 218
Conor’s good-byes to children at, 271
and Conor’s return from Humla, 226–27
Conor’s stay at, 243–45
families’ visits to, 240–41
Farid as manager of, 155
and Farid’s return to Nepal, 141
final group photo at, 271
finding of, 138–40
importance of opening, 141
leaving ceremony at, 271
Liz’s relationship with children at, 249, 259
Liz’s visit to, 226–27, 228, 229, 243–45
and location of Conor’s apartment, 147–48
naming of, 144
rescue of children at, 227–30
setting up, 142–46
six children come to, 145–46
and stipends for parents, 267
and Tilak’s rescue, 254
Dipendra (crown prince of Nepal), 69
Dirgha (orphan)
appearance of, 86
and Bishnu’s rescue, 254, 257
and camera, 87–88
Conor first meets, 86, 87
Conor’s good-bye to, 271
and Conor’s return from Humla, 225
at Dhaulagiri House, 145, 146, 148
disappearance of, 101, 102
finding of, 129–32
get-well cards for, 134
in hospital, 129–32
malnutrition of, 129–32
with Nuraj’s mother, 86, 87–88
search for, 107, 120
at Umbrella Foundation, 132, 133–34
Drinking Jelly, 66
EastWest Institute, 6, 99, 106, 107
Ecuador: Conor’s trip to, 62
eggs: as gift for Conor, 185
Elena (Liz’s friend), 123
English: learning, 33
Everest Base Camp, 14–15, 40, 158–59, 267
Everest National Park, 15
families, children’s
as aiding in child trafficking, 267
Conor’s feelings about meeting, 181
continuing search for, 266–67, 268–69
gifts to Conor from, 180, 185, 238
letters to/from, 195, 213, 238, 241
photographs of, 238
as reluctant to take children, 266–67