The journey began when Conor Grennan, edging in on his thirtieth birthday, set out for an around the world adventure that would start with a little volunteer work in Nepal at the Little Princes Children’s Home. (This was, admittedly, because it sounded like an impressive thing to do.) What happened next was a discovery of torn families, lost children and of purpose, responsibility and the impact we can all make if we just show up.

One reviewer summed it up nicely:

At turns tragic, joyful, and hilarious, Little Princes is a testament to the power of faith and the ability of love to carry us beyond our wildest expectations.

I read this true story in less than 24 hours and immediately set out to find Conor Grennan. I had to thank him and had to find a way to help the work in Nepal. What follows is our interaction. Enjoy.

Brad: What made you chose Nepal?

Conor: Mostly, I just wanted to go trekking. My brother had sent me a postcard from there years earlier, and it looked so exotic, so beautiful, I desperately wanted to get into those mountains and see them for myself.

You wrote a beautiful piece titled “Why I Wrote Little Princes”. It brought to mind for me how difficult it also must have been to relive so much of this time of your life. Can you talk a little bit about how you mentally set about reliving such a pivotal time in your life (and the lives of these young children)?

There were certainly challenges to it. On the positive side, I had kept a blog throughout my time there, so I had already written hundreds of pages about the children – that went a long way to putting the story together. But there were also things that I had to relive that were difficult moments. I was surprised at how emotional it was, and continues to be, even years later. Mostly I tried to write it in such a way that readers didn’t feel like I was purposefully tugging at heartstrings or being overly dramatic. That probably helped me, as well.

You also read the audiobook, which I applaud. Hearing an author tell their own story really allows the passion and heart to come through. I do wonder, though: how do Farid, Jagrit and the others feel about your impressions of them? Spot on?

My impressions are terrible, I’m sure! Nobody likes to hear themselves be imitated. But I wanted to capture the spirit of them, if not the perfect accent – the feeling in their voices, which I remember as if it was yesterday.

Did any part of you ever think that you would do what you did: become a volunteer, become deeply invested and become central to changing so many lives?

I really don’t think so – I didn’t think I had it in me. I think I would have run from it if somebody told me I had to do that, in fact. But I probably had inside what we all have, which is a desire to make life matter, to do something that we can look back on with pride, knowing that for that time of our lives, we did the right thing.

What advice would you give to people who might read your book or read this interview and think they aren’t cut out for volunteer work?

I wrote the book ESPECIALLY for those people. I think readers will find on page one that I was less cut out for volunteer work than any person alive. I didn’t have the skills, the passion for a cause, or even compassion for kids. But I knew I could do it, only because the most important thing is just showing up. I did that, I showed up, and the kids gave me the passion and skills I needed to really make a difference. That to me is the key to volunteering.

There must have been moments where you felt alone or that the task was too big. What kept you going?

The thing that kept me going was that nobody else was doing this work. If I had given up, there would be kids who would never be helped. I knew that with all my heart – I wasn’t just contributing as part of a group, it was just me and my team. That made it easy to keep going, even when it was tough.

The book captures not only such a life-changing time in your life but essentially for everyone else involved. What has been the reaction to Little Princes from Farid, Liz and the kids?

I’m happy to say they’ve really loved the story, especially the kids. I think that’s because I was as honest as I could be, that I didn’t embellish details, I just told our story. That made it, for them, a great book to read, because it’s their story too.

In caring for them what did you learn about what the children of Nepal need most?

I learned that they don’t need the kinds of things we think they do – like toys or clothing donations from the states. All that we can get there, and support the local economy in the process. Mostly what they need is people to raise awareness for them and to raise donations. That’s the only thing that will get these kids home, and keep them safe.

How are the original seven children?

They’re doing great! Six of them have returned home to Humla, one is still in Kathmandu but will be returning soon. They’re almost hard to recognize, they’re so much older. They’re really wonderful kids.

How much work still needs to be done to confront trafficking in Nepal and to also reunite children with their families?

A lot, unfortunately. From the first trip I took, alone, into the mountains to find the families of 24 kids, we’ve now found about 400 families using our local teams. But there are still fifteen thousand children out in danger, who need to find their families. We’re working on rescuing those kids and finding their homes. We’re also working to confront trafficking in the villages – it’s a long term process, but we’re making progress.

What can Love In Stereo and our readers do to help Next Generation Nepal?

Thanks for asking! We would love to spread the word far and wide about the story of these kids and the help they so badly need. Our website has really cool slide shows about our work, and more information about how to help. If people find it in their heart, we are in need of donations to help get these kids home!

What’s next for you?

We’re expecting our second child very soon, so in the immediate term, I’m preparing for that! I’m also doing a lot of travel to get the word out about the book and Next Generation Nepal. After that…who knows!

Because we want you to read this book and take action, (and because we’re kind of feeling like Oprah) we are giving away 5 free copies of Little Princes! To enter just comment on this entry below by finishing this sentence:

I feel like I can’t make a difference in the world because . .

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