Kim by Rudyard Kipling, Fiction, Literary

KIM is an utterly enchanting tale of personal growth, filial love, and the joy of life -- set in India during the British Raj. Kim O'Hara, a cunning and street-wise orphaned Sahib, a child of India in all but blood, embarks upon a journey with a Tibetan lama in search of spiritual cleansing. Kim matures under the lama's patient guidance and, in turn, gives his heart to his mentor. The two support each other through the passages they both must make; in time, Kim's parentage and talents are discovered by the British and he is drafted and trained to be a participant within the Great Game -- that is, the political battle between Russia and Britain for control of Central Asia. Lama and student seek their disparate goals together as they traverse the plains of India, hike Himalayan foothills, and discourse along the way. . . . and find as they travel something much, much more . . .