Little Princes

        “Little Princes” by Conner Grennan details the events surrounding war-torn Nepal as seen through the eyes of a volunteer in a children’s home. The largest part of the story revolves around the lives of the children, the circumstances under which the children landed in the orphanage and Grennan’s effort to reunite the children with their parents. Apparently, these children, initially considered being orphans, were victims of children traffickers. The book describes Grennan’s discovery of the children’s past and his selfless effort to reunite them with their families. The story is interesting in the way it combines sad episodes with humor and a degree of romance.

The entire book is educative on the crude practices of children traffickers and how people of goodwill are determined to endanger their lives for the welfare of others. The plot of the story starts with Grennan sacrificing his stable office job for a year long trip around the globe. Through Grennan’s thoughts, the reader comes to understand him as a reserved and intuited person who is emotionally driven by the suffering of others. Grennan finds it selfish to embark on the trip right away and, as a result, he reluctantly volunteers to work in an orphanage in Nepal. His brief stay at the orphanage offers him several insights. He discovers that the children are not orphans, but rather are victims of reckless children traffickers who separated them from their parents in the promise of safe hideouts. The traffickers leave the children stranded in Nepal’s capital despite having charged a fee from the parents. Some of them suffer in the process while the luckier ones get to join the orphanage. Grennan is obviously moved by the stories of these children, and an emotional bond is developed between him and them. Courageously, Grennan seeks ways to reunite the children with their parents through processes that are not only dangerous but also energy draining. Grennan is encouraged by a lady living in Nepal’s capital and the two form intimate bonds as a result of their general compassion for the children.

Some of the themes that are evident in the “Little Princes” include warfare, children trafficking, and love for others. From the book, the reader can establish that warfare has severe effects on human life. Many people in Nepal were compelled to hand their children over to the traffickers in the hope that their offsprings would be placed under safe care. This move was spurred by violence and strife that is part of warfare. During chaos, children traffickers take advantage of the situation and seek to exploit unsuspecting citizens of their money through false promises. From the book, it is clear that children trafficking has adverse effect, which is increased number of young victims. The cause of this is lack of parental care, education, and emotional guidance.

            One of the reasons why “Little Princes” is interesting is the book’s story line. The entire story is adventurers, despite its depiction of violence and cruelty that comes with warfare. Grennan uses conflicting aspects, such as romance and warfare, to explain the events that characterized the community of Nepal in 2004. Apparently, this book covers a true story and is told by Grennan in first person narration. This adds value to the book as it provides insight into situations that result from violence and uprisings. The book is also humorous and satirical in its narration of events and phenomenon in the war-torn Nepal. Grennan’s courage and selfless attitude are inspirational for demonstration of voluntary empathy and goodwill. The story is also an asset to the ongoing campaign on children’s rights and protection. Grennan’s story is special in that it seeks to educate the population on the value of children and the role of adults in the children’s life.