Dimensions
130 x 194 x 16mm
For Gopal and his family, life in the rural Indian village is increasingly desperate and hopeless-"We stay, we starve," Gopal's Baba has warned. Under cover of night, they flee to Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. But when they can't find Uncle Jama and their money runs short, the family end up on the streets.
Despite these hardships, Gopal imagines a beautiful life for his family, like he has seen in magazines, and is determined to make this happen. So when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factory job, Gopal cannot turn down the chance to make his dreams come true. But Gopal has been deceived. There is no grand factory-instead, he is locked in a small, stuffy sweatshop with five other young boys, forced to work for no money and little food, making beaded frames for export.
The boys, pitted against one another by their cruel boss, do not trust one another. Gopal doesn't even know any of the boys names because the boys do not speak to each other, either. But Gopal's storyteller's nature gets the best of him, and late at night, he begins to share his stories, kahanis. With no other way out-some boys wouldn't have anywhere to go even if they did break free-Gopal's kahanis are their only escape from this horrible existence. In this hard-hitting and unforgettable novel springs a hope eternal, an unwavering force that reaffirms the power of story and the spirit of brotherhood.
Ages 10+
