A Long Way Home, a 2013 memoir, tells the story of author Saroo Brierley, who became lost and separated from his family in India as a young boy. After being adopted and raised by an Australian family, Saroo, now an adult, struggles for a sense of identity as an Indian Australian with two different families and so many unanswered questions.

It is this search for identity that makes Saroo become obsessive about remembering the details of his family and his village. Since he was hardly older than a toddler when he was separated from them, his memories are few in number. It is also important that Saroo remember any notable landmarks or features of his village, as these will help him locate it and reunite with his lost family. Remembering details of the village, and his life there, is the only way for Saroo to find his family and move forward with his life.