Set in India in the 1950's, this now-historical novel traces a walking journey made by thirteen-year-old Lalu and his seven-year-old sister Maya from their village in eastern India to Agra, three hundred miles away. Seeking medical attention for Maya's quickly failing eyesight, the resilient pair push through obstacles put in their path by people and the environment. A lucky encounter with UNICEF workers just outside Agra helps them cut through unanticipated regulations to get the treatment that Maya needs to reverse what is diagnosed as trachoma. Norwegian writer Aimee Sommerfelt fashions this panoramic journey through the Indian countryside on her experience living in India while her husband worked for United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

This is a new release of the original 1962 edition.