A Long Way Home

PROLOGUE-CHAPTER 4

Reading Check

1. His mother (Prologue)

2. Ginestlay (Chapter 1)

3. Two corpses near the river in Kolkata (Chapter 3)

4. Between two houses (Chapter 3)

5. Liluah (Chapter 4)

Short Answer

1. Sue and John ensure Saroo feels wanted and loved by decorating their home with objects from India and connecting Saroo with individuals from his home country. Saroo is most attached to the map of India that Sue hangs on his wall. (Chapter 1)

2. The abandonment by Saroo’s father causes the family to become impoverished. Kamla is unable to sufficiently support the family with her income, which forces the children to supplement their income through stealing, working, and begging. These dangerous activities eventually lead to the separation of Saroo from his family. (Chapter 2)

3. Saroo explains that he did not have many friends in India. He speculates that his Hindu beliefs in a Muslim neighborhood may have contributed to his lack of friends. Additionally, Saroo believes some children may have been instructed to avoid him because of his poverty. (Chapter 2)

4. Saroo decides to help his brother who looks nightly for money and food by traveling on the train to Berampur. While waiting on a bench for his brother, Saroo awakens to discover he is alone and cold and boards an empty train for warmth. The train is moving when Saroo awakens again; it takes him to Kolkata. Saroo attempts to find his way home, but a language barrier and people’s general unhelpfulness prevent him from doing so. (Chapter 2)

5. Kolkata presents many dangers to the five-year-old Saroo. Saroo is unable to communicate because of the language barrier and is forced to beg for food. On two occasions, Saroo nearly drowns in a nearby river, but an unhoused man rescues him. A railway worker offers to feed Saroo, but Saroo is forced to flee his house when he suspects immoral intentions. (Chapter 3)

CHAPTERS 5-9

Reading Check

1. Nine (Chapter 5)

2. The Australian Society for Intercountry Aid (Children) (Chapter 5)

3. World War II (Chapter 5)

4. Overpopulation (Chapter 6)

5. Google Earth (Chapter 9)

Short Answer

1. Saroo instantly adapts to life in Australia. He is comfortable in his new surroundings because he has his own room, toys, and access to food. Saroo’s new life contrasts drastically with his family life in India where he shared a one-room apartment with his mother and siblings, was forced to work, and would often go hungry. (Chapter 5)

2. Sue and John foster Saroo’s involvement with the Australian Society for Intercountry Aid (Children), where Saroo takes part in activities related to his cultural identity and where he can socialize with international adoptees. Though Saroo identifies with his Australian upbringing, he regularly prays for his family and attempts to remember details about his homeland. (Chapters 5 and 7)

3. Mantosh, unlike Saroo, is adopted by Sue and John while still having connections to his parents in Kolkata, complicating the adoption process. The process of adoption is slow; Mantosh is physically and sexually abused in Liluah, causing Mantosh to develop behavioral differences. Additionally, Mantosh has difficulty adjusting to school because of cultural differences between the two countries. For example, Mantosh has difficulty respecting female authority. (Chapter 5)

4. Sue’s beliefs are grounded in 1960s counterculture. Her fears regarding overpopulation and care for the environment inspire her to pursue adoption. Sue’s vision fuels her desire to adopt impoverished children. Her eventual adoption of Saroo based on her vision connects to the book’s theme of Fate and Luck. (Chapter 6)

5. While studying in Canberra, Saroo encounters international students from India. Saroo feels disconnected from these students because they speak Hindi, eat Indian food, and refer to Indian pop culture. Saroo’s differences with the students initially cause him to feel like an outsider within their group, but it is these friends who inspire Saroo to reconnect with his biological family in India. (Chapters 7-9)

CHAPTER 10-EPILOGUE

Reading Check

1. Lion (Chapter 11)

2. India (Chapter 12)

3. Diwali/the Festival of Lights (Chapter 12)

4. His father (Chapter 12)

6. 60 Minutes Australia (Epilogue)

Short Answer

1. Saroo feels conflicted and guilty, believing he may be betraying Sue and John by seeking out his biological mother. His mother’s gratitude toward Sue and John eases Saroo’s conflicting feelings. (Chapter 10)

2. Kamla tells Saroo she did not mourn him because she believed that, unlike Guddu, Saroo was still alive. To confirm her suspicion, Kamla visited holy men who informed her Saroo was healthy and happy. Kamla’s faith in Fate and Luck enabled her to hope for her son’s eventual return. (Chapter 12)

3. Kamla’s circumstances improve with the reintroduction of Saroo into the family, which is touted as another happy result of fate. Kamla receives offers from daughters in India who wish to marry Saroo, and Saroo provides supplemental income for Kamla and others in his family. (Chapter 12)

4. Saroo’s early life of meditating on his hometown and the places he has seen in India prove largely to be inaccurate. Many of the buildings he once observed are much smaller than he imagined. Likewise, distances seem much farther than he initially believed. For example, Saroo’s old house is much smaller, and he is unable to imagine his family of five living within it. Likewise, the trip he took as a five-year-old is nearly double what he originally thought. (Chapter 13)

5. Guddu died when he was hit by a train the night Saroo was separated from his family. Saroo learns of his brother’s death for the first time as an adult. The sting of Guddu’s death is heightened because his family’s poverty prevented them from obtaining photos of him; Saroo feels he cannot properly mourn Guddu because his grave site has been covered by real estate developers. (Chapter 10)