About the Book

A RAGS-TO-RICHES STORY BASED ON THE INSPIRING LIFE OF LALA. NOW A FILM BY GOUTAM GHOSE!
Eleven-year-old Lala runs away from his village in Raipur for the great city of Bombay. He’s on a mission to help his tenant-farmer father who toils from dawn till dusk every day of the year. Come harvest every season, all the money goes to paying rent on the fields, buying seeds for the next sowing and making sure something was left over to feed the family of twelve. Lala wants his father to dream again and not beg in front of the tax collector when crops fail. As he ventures into the unknown, Lala must brave his fears. Lala’s journey is a symphony of thrill and peril—beginning with a train ride that swiftly spirals into chaos under the menacing glare of dacoits and the attentions of slimy policemen. He escapes from them only to be carried to the tempestuous sea, where a ferocious thunderstorm almost claims his life. In the big city, he finally finds refuge in a fisherfolk’s colony where he is entranced by Maya, the chief’s granddaughter. But still greater experiences await Lala.
Based on the inspiring life of Lala, whom author Sergio Scapagnini met on his annual pilgrimage to India, this is a rags-to-riches story that captures the joy of existence and the indomitable spirit of an extraordinary boy.

About the Author

Sergio Scapagnini was born in Naples. He has a PhD in chemical engineering and a wellknown film producer. This is his first foray into writing. The Italian edition of The Story of Lala won the prestigious Elsa Morante-Isola di Arturo award in 1999. The book has also been translated into French and Bengali.