Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal

“Funny, touching, tragic….A remarkable tale of corruption, child trafficking and civil war in a far away land—and one man’s extraordinary quest to reunite lost Nepalese children with their parents.”
—Neil White, author of In the Sanctuary of Outcasts

Little Princes is the epic story of Conor Grennan’s battle to save the lost children of Nepal and how he found himself in the process. Part Three Cups of Tea, part Into Thin Air, Grennan’s remarkable memoir is at once gripping and inspirational, and it carries us deep into an exotic world that most readers know little about.

One Person Can Make a Difference

In search of adventure, twenty-nine-year-old Conor Grennan traded his day job for a year-long trip around the globe, a journey that began with a three-month stint volunteering at the Little Princes Children’s Home, an orphanage in war-torn Nepal.

Conor was initially reluctant to volunteer, unsure whether he had the proper skill, or enough passion, to get involved in a developing country in the middle of a civil war. But he was soon overcome by the herd of rambunctious, resilient children who would challenge and reward him in a way that he had never imagined. When Conor learned the unthinkable truth about their situation, he was stunned: The children were not orphans at all. Child traffickers were promising families in remote villages to protect their children from the civil war—for a huge fee—by taking them to safety. They would then abandon the children far from home, in the chaos of Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu.

For Conor, what began as a footloose adventure becomes a commitment to reunite the children he had grown to love with their families, but this would be no small task. He would risk his life on a journey through the legendary mountains of Nepal, facing the dangers of a bloody civil war and a debilitating injury. Waiting for Conor back in Kathmandu, and hopeful he would make it out before being trapped in by snow, was the woman who would eventually become his wife and share his life’s work.

Little Princes is a true story of families and children, and what one person is capable of when faced with seemingly insurmountable odds. 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.

“If you’ve never believed in miracles, this book could convince you otherwise . . . Like the children he writes about, Grennan has boundless resilience and determination, in addition to self-effacing humor and tunnel-vision devotion. He’s also a good writer . . . Go buy multiple copies... invest in a miracle or two or more.” - Christian Science Monitor

“While the story is amazing, sincere and touching, it is also a pleasure to see how the author grows, both in personality and style over the five years that the memoir covers.” - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

In the tradition of “Three Cups of Tea” and “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” this book provides proof (there cannot be too much) of the value of volunteer work. - Los Angeles Times

“The author stumbles into volunteering in an orphanage in Nepal and gets involved in reuniting trafficked children with their families. The energy of these children will make you laugh even though they’ve been through hardship and loss.” - San Francisco Chronicle Book Review

“With a light touch and refreshing candor, Grennan in Little Princes tells the story of how a good-looking University of Virginia grad with wanderlust ended up risking his life to find, then reunite, children with their families in Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world.” - USA Today

“[Grennan’s] jaunty charm lies in his refusal to take himself too seriously, even as his three-month stint becomes a plenty serious lifelong mission. . . . We fell for him right away.” - O, the Oprah Magazine

“Looking for wider horizons, 30-year-old Grennan opted for a day trip around the world. His journey began at the Little Princes orphanage in Nepal, where he had planned to volunteer for three months before moving on to other adventures. Then he met the children-laughing, bright-eyed, and, he learned, often not orphans at all but victims of human traffickers. So Grennan changed his life in order to change theirs, risking everything to reunite children with their families. Promoted by HarperCollins senior vice president and publisher Liate Stehlik at LJ’s Day of Dialog, this is shocking, affecting, and, ultimately, a reminder that each of us can make a difference. Yes, Three Cups of Tea comes to mind, but Grennan has his own story and his own style.” - Library Journal

“The beauty of this book is partly the fact that it is a memoir. But it is also more than that. I defy you to not be inspired or moved by this saga.” - New York Journal of Books

“Grennan’s work is by turns self-pokingly humorous, exciting, and inspiring.” - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“‘Little Princes’ is a tale of determination, courage and love that will not leave you unchanged.” - Daytona Beach News

“Funny, touching, tragic. Conor Grennan’s Little Princes is a remarkable tale of corruption, child trafficking and civil war in a far away land — and one man’s extraordinary quest to reunite lost Nepalese children with their parents.” - Neil White, author of In the Sanctuary of Outcasts

“For millions across the world uprooted and scattered by war, home is the elusive and unobtainable reward. Conor Grennan is helping fulfill that dream for the lost children of Nepal, who are so crucial to its future. More than just another do-gooder’s tale from the trenches, his book is both an inspiring story of service and a page-turning adventure.” - Bryan Mealer, co-author of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind