This is an incredible true story of the survival of an orphan who, lured by the power of knowledge, went on to achieve his life's dream of becoming one of the highly educated of his time, despite all odds. The story starts when he lost his father--the only person he had--at the age of seven. He hardly knew his mother who died earlier when he was barely four. Suddenly he was alone and his tearful childhood journey through life smacked of nothing but a miracle. Because the individual doesn't exist in a vacuum, the story of this orphan is also that of his culture and custom at the time; understanding both brings to life the enormous suffering and difficulty he endured and makes the reader appreciate more his amazing and unique story. Also, pity and anxiety to know what comes next for the little orphan create an inescapable suspense that glues the reader to the pages till the end. And, because it is the story of life and living, there is abundance of human emotions, tears, joy, sadness, humor, and brief moments of innocent love, to mention just a few, that keep the narrative alive to the last page--the last line. Amazing!