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Kamla
Dad (John Brierley) is Saroo’s adoptive father. He runs an industrial hose business in Hobart, Tasmania, where both Mantosh and Saroo work as adults. Dad was born in England and moved to Australia as a teenager. He enjoyed the climate so much that he never returns to England. He fully supports Mum’s desire to adopt internationally and not have biological children, though he doesn’t feel as strongly about it as she does. As a parent, Dad is loving and kind, but firm. Saroo very much enjoys having fatherly attention. Dad in particular is the one tasked with standing up to racism within their community, as he experiences several incidents while signing Saroo and Mantosh up for sports teams. Like Mum, Dad is very active, and the Brierleys as a unit are an outdoorsy family. He’s especially interested in sailing and water sports, and in the year after adopting Saroo, he often takes Saroo out on his catamaran.
Dad / John Brierley Quotes in A Long Way Home
The A Long Way Home quotes below are all either spoken by Dad / John Brierley or refer to Dad / John Brierley. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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1. Remembering Quotes
Mum and Dad were very affectionate, right from the start, always giving me lots of cuddles and making me feel safe, secure, loved, and, above all, wanted. That meant a lot to a child who'd been lost and had experienced what it was like for no one to care about him.
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Saroo describes how Mum and Dad immediately did whatever they could to show Saroo that he could trust them to care for him. This is an early indicator that Saroo overwhelmingly believes that the most important signifier of a family is how the members of a family treat each other. It means the world to him that his parents show him that he's loved, wanted, and safe, and that means far more to him than whether or not they're related by blood. Later, Saroo will relay Mum's story of growing up. During her childhood, she didn't receive much or any Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntu
6. My Mum's Journey Quotes
Mum was delighted when the word came through but also calm: somewhere inside her, she'd always felt that the vision she'd had at the age of twelve had meant it was her destiny to have an adopted child by her side.
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When Mum received word that she and Dad were going to be able to adopt Saroo, she was calm because of a vision she had. That vision of her with a brown-skinned child is what led her through the sixteen years of trying to adopt after getting married to Dad. Essentially, the vision and Mum's belief in destiny allowed her to make sense of her situation and believe for sixteen years that she would absolutely be able to adopt one day; she just needed to be patient. This again shows that which belief system (destiny vs. chance) one chooses is Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita de
She is an advocate of replacing Australia's various state laws on intercountry adoption with a simplified federal law. She's critical of governments making it too difficult to adopt and feels that if it was a little easier, maybe more families would do it.
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Saroo explains his mum's beliefs about adoption, which mainly focus on the fact that governments generally don't make it easy to adopt children from other countries. Mum's beliefs rest on the assumption that people are overwhelmingly kind and want to help others—what stops them from doing that is bureaucracy that makes performing kindnesses for others difficult. She very clearly sees intercountry adoption as a way to give back to the world at large and help children in need, and she sees these laws in direct opposition to people's ability to act kindly. At the same time, these laws exist in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occae
9. Finding Home Quotes
Mum had such a dedicated belief in adoption and the authentic family that adoption created. I was worried about how my news would affect her, and I wanted to reassure her that of course they would always be my parents.
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After Saroo locates Khandwa, he worries about telling Mum about his discovery, as he fears she'll feel threatened by the news. The fact that Saroo is afraid and wants to protect Mum from anxiety or heartache shows, first, how much he cares for her. Trying to protect her is a concrete action that he can take to care for her, regardless of their biological ties to each other. Then, it also shows that Saroo fully believes in the authenticity of his family with Mum, Dad, and Mantosh. In his eyes, finding his birth family is a way for him to Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam vo
10. Meeting My Mother Quotes
Even at this first meeting, she told me she was grateful to my parents who had raised me in Australia, and that they had the right to call me their son because they had raised me from a child and made me the man I was today. Her only concern for me, she said, was that I should have the very best life I could.
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When Saroo and Kamla finally find someone to translate for them during their first meeting, Kamla is very clear in her respect for Saroo's parents and her acceptance of them as part of the family. This shows that Kamla, like Mum, believes that a more important signifier of family is action, not blood. She believes that Mum and Dad are worthy of being family because of all the things they did for Saroo over the years, irrespective of the fact that they're not his biological parents. This in turn continues to expand the book's definition of family, as now Saroo Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. U
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Dad / John Brierley Character Timeline in A Long Way Home
The timeline below shows where the character Dad / John Brierley appears in A Long Way Home. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
1. Remembering
Mum and Dad aren't sure how Saroo got lost. All anyone knows at first is that Saroo was...
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Often, Saroo, Mum, and Dad visit an Indian couple, Saleen and Jacob. They speak Hindi with Saroo and translate as...
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...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,...
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5. A New Life
...shy, he immediately recognizes the Brierleys. He still has his chocolate. He hugs Mum and Dad, and Mum cleans the chocolate off of his hand. They can't talk to each other,...
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...He sleeps soundly that night and wakes up in the morning to see Mum and Dad watching him from their bed. He peers out at them, and feels as though none...
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...to swim very quickly, and Saroo loves being able to enjoy the outdoors. Mum and Dad are active and take Saroo to play golf, hike, and sail. Saroo finds the natural...
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...to his classmates. Saroo says he doesn’t remember experiencing racism at school, though Mum and Dad can recall several instances that went over Saroo’s head at the time. They eventually stop...
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...all his teachers at school and applies himself to academics. When he’s ten, Mum and Dad adopt another child from India. Saroo is thrilled; he’d been saying for years that he...
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Just as they did the first time, Mum and Dad ask for any child of any age or gender, and they get a little boy...
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...give Saroo as much attention now, Saroo is used to being independent. Eventually, Mum and Dad begin planning a family trip to India. Both Saroo and Mantosh are initially excited, but...
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6. My Mum's Journey
...a lunch break one day, Mum noticed a young man from Hobart named John Brierley (Dad). He soon asked her out. He was from England, and though he’d been skeptical of...
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A year later, Dad got a job on the mainland, but he stayed in Burnie long enough to propose...
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...even though he threatened to kill her. Eventually, she came to live with Mum and Dad when Saroo and Mantosh were young. Josef died when Saroo was twelve, and he never...
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In part because of the political shifts happening in Australia after the sixties, Mum and Dad were very interested in “alternative” ideas. They, like others, were worried about overpopulation and war,...
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...that time, state law prohibited couples who were able to conceive from adopting. Mum and Dad settled for sponsoring children overseas and otherwise enjoying their good fortune. Sixteen years later, Mum...
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Because Mum and Dad didn’t have a preference on age or sex, they received word that Saroo was available...
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7. Growing Up
...do with being adopted and everything to do with being a teen. Eventually, Mum and Dad give Saroo an ultimatum: leave school before Year 12 to work, go to university, or...
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...work for the family business selling industrial hoses. Mantosh joins the business as well. Coincidentally, Dad began the business the day that Saroo arrived from India. Saroo also begins a new...
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8. Resuming the Search
Though Saroo loves working with Dad, his relationship with his girlfriend sours and they soon break up. Saroo moves back in...
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...recognizes that he’s obsessed. Saroo doesn’t tell many people about his search, especially Mum and Dad. He doesn’t want them to think he’s unhappy with his life they gave him.
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9. Finding Home
The next day, Saroo tells Dad that he found his hometown. Dad is skeptical, and Saroo realizes that telling him is...
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...answer his questions, but he feels some of the same anxiety that made Mum and Dad cancel the trip to India when Saroo was a child.
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Lisa backs down immediately, but Mum and Dad argue more. Finally, Saroo convinces them that he must go alone. It takes Saroo eleven...
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10. Meeting My Mother
...when he got lost. She makes it very clear that she’s grateful to Mum and Dad for raising Saroo to be the man he is today, and she insists she only...
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...he’ll never know the full truth. Before he goes to bed, he texts Mum and Dad the news, and tells them that Kamla thanks them for raising him.
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12. Reaching Out
...now, he’ll have to figure out how he fits into both families across cultures. Mum, Dad, and Lisa are thrilled to hear all about meeting his family and seem especially interested...
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Epilogue
...an element of destiny in how things played out. He knows too that Mum and Dad wouldn’t wish that their lives had gone any differently, and he explains that he’s extremely...
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