Phoenix Reckoning with Hope

This first-in-a-series family fiction has something for everyone. Experience life a precocious street boy in western India who is drawn from his mean surroundings to explore the bigger world beyond the trash heap beside the railway station that he calls home. Without family, education, money, connections, or status the odds against him seem overwhelming; but with the help of friends and neighbors, both human and animal, the boy learns to disregard the perception of limits and teaches himself to read and write. Tapori’s new skills serve him well as he discovers and helps to unravel an investment scandal leading to crimes of grand proportion. The plot is fast-moving, fun to read aloud, and rich in endearing characters including Bombai, the fastidious rat; Crow, a proud member of the flying legion; Madam Gita, the gossip-loving monkey hair stylist; and Governor, the well-respected and rather pedantic mongoose who resides under the railroad tracks and believes anything which has not been proven to be impossible remains possible. In the process of unfolding Tapori’s adventures, the book touches on politics, economy, social issues and human nature making it a must-read for all generations.