I haven’t seen the recent movie “Lion” starring Nicole Kidman. As compelling as the story seemed of a young boy finding the small Indian village where he was born, I have heard that the movie gets bogged down in too many scenes of google maps searches. That sounded somewhat less compelling.
Ultimately I read the book on which the movie was based at the insistence of my book club. I’m so glad I did.
Brierley tells his story beautifully. It is a moving story of family bonds in their various forms. There is no cringe worthy mush (I’m very sensitive to that) but there is an honesty and rawness in the book.
I could imagine the terror of the 5-6 year old Saroo all alone in Calcutta and the confusion of taking a long trip to Australia. His gradual settling into suburban life was endearing but his yearning for his birth family was palpable.
Although the story obviously centres on Brierley’s experiences, I found myself most drawn to the story of the mothers. Sue Brierley is an extraordinary woman who felt an almost spiritual pull to adopt a child from overseas rather than having her own children. Her passion for overseas adoption was so overwhelming that she admits that had her husband not been supportive (he was), it would have threatened their rock solid marriage. The frustration they felt in the bureaucratic delays that caused tangible damage to their second son was devastating.
The generosity between Sue Brierley and Saroo’s birth mother, Kamla Munshi was also extraordinary.
I loved this book and it’s timely with Mothers’ Day approaching.
