The National Book Award Winner, Cynthia Kadohata, is a Japanese-American author who has written many critically acclaimed books.

I chose to read Half a World Away when I read the blurb which said that it is a story about the “transformational power of love”, endorsed by R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder.

The story revolves around a troubled 11-year-old boy named Jaden. A very difficult child and not quite a happy one, he has been adopted from Romania, but he soon realises that he is an ‘epic fail’. He suffers through an internal struggle and fears that his parents will leave him, just like his birth mother. Understandably so, he thinks this is the reason why his family is leaving for Kazakhstan to adopt a new baby and replace him. And he knows all the reasons for it: he knows he cannot stop stealing, hoarding, lighting fires, destructive running and the ridiculous obsession with the electrics. Although he knows that his parents love him unconditionally, he doesn’t ‘feel loved’.

When his parents reach Kazakhstan, they find that the baby they were about to adopt has been taken and they have to choose one from the other six infants that are available for adoption. So, while his parents contemplate their choice, Jaden is thrilled about the toddlers. For example, Dimash is found spying on Jaden, who seems to be worried about the toddler. Dimash is a three-year-old who cannot speak much. He is expected to be out of the orphanage soon and Jaden thinks the toddler’s life will be as miserable as his own. After a very long time, Jaden feels something that is not fury or anger, or frustration — of being abandoned by his biological parents, or the fact that his current parents will like the new infant more than him. What’s more, he cannot control this feeling or its power.

The book celebrates love, kindness, loss, grief, hope and second chances. Many nasty characters turn into heroes, as love emerges from unexpected places. With strong and layered characters and well thought-out storyline, Half a World Away is everything a child must read about in today’s day and age, when children are riddled with attention deficit and bereft of love by hyper-occupied parents.

The book informs us about the process of adoption, the emotional rollercoaster ride the child goes through, and how it can be hard to find love from people other than the obvious ones. A must-read, and highly recommended.

Published in Dawn, Young World, June 17th, 2023