A Long Way Home: 1. Remembering Summary & Analysis

Saroo grows up in Hobart, Tasmania (an island state of Australia). His Mum puts a map of India on Saroo's wall to make him feel at home when he arrives in 1987 at age six. She also decorates the house with Indian objects, though they look only vaguely familiar to Saroo. Throughout his childhood he spends hours sitting in front of the map. He knows that somewhere in that huge place is where he came from, "Ginestlay," though he doesn't know if "Ginestlay" is a city, village, or a street. He also doesn't know how old he is for sure—the Indian authorities guessed at his birth year, and the month and day of his birthday are when he arrived at the orphanage.

Mum and Dad aren't sure how Saroo got lost. All anyone knows at first is that Saroo was picked up off the streets of Calcutta and soon after, adopted by the Brierleys. It isn't until Saroo has been in Australia for a year that he's able to explain that he's not actually from Calcutta; rather, he boarded a train from "Berampur," a station near "Ginestlay." When Saroo arrives in Australia, however, everyone focuses on the future, not the past. Mum concentrates on caring for Saroo and earning his trust rather than immediately teaching him English.

Often, Saroo, Mum, and Dad visit an Indian couple, Saleen and Jacob. They speak Hindi with Saroo and translate as needed. Saroo picks up English quickly, but it takes him a while to be ready to talk about India. As far as Mum knows, Saroo doesn't even think much about it, though this is far from the truth: once he cries out, "Me begot!" and only later does Mum discover that Saroo forgot the way to the school near his home in India. He explains that those memories are precious to him, as they're all he has of his past and he thinks of it often. Because Saroo is determined to not forget, he clearly remembers his past in India, both the good memories and the bad ones.

Saroo has a relatively easy time adjusting. Though he misses Kamla, he knows he has to take any opportunities that allow him to survive and thrive. Mum and Dad make Saroo feel loved, safe, and wanted. He keeps his thoughts and memories to himself, in part because he doesn't realize how extraordinary his story is. However, the memories still affect him: he's unable to watch a Hindi movie about a lost boy, and sad music triggers emotional flashbacks.

Eventually, Saroo begins to speak. He tells Saleen about his family, and a year after his arrival, tells Mum about how poor his family was. They talk about his neighborhood and together, and draw a map of it with Saroo's instructions. Not long after, Saroo tells Mum about how he became lost. With an incredulous look on her face, she takes notes and marks Calcutta on their map. A few months later, Saroo tells her he's from "Ginestlay," and not long after that, he tells a teacher a more complete version of his story.

Saroo explains that he told Mum and his teacher about the memories he'd held onto since his arrival. There are some gaps, questionable details, and murky divisions between what he thought as a child and what he knows now, as an adult. It was a relief to tell his story as a child and now, as an adult, he hopes that his story will inspire hope in others.