Conor Grennan thought he was out to travel the world until he arrived in the mountainous country of Nepal where he volunteered in an orphanage. With the civil war, children were taken from their parents with the promise of a better life. However, they were mistreated and starved. The lucky ones were rescued and placed in the orphanage. After returning to the US, he set up a foundation and returned to Nepal to try and locate the parents of the orphans. The book describes his relationship with the children and his determination to fulfill his promise to locate the parents.