The Little Hero by Andrew Crofts
Everyone has seen the ads – ‘Buy Now. Genuine Persian Carpets. Only $80, This weekend only.’ The Little Hero fills in the story behind these ads and makes very clear the true cost of those rugs.
Iqbal Mash was a very little boy when his older brother decided that he wanted to get married. There was no money in the family for the bride price, so they asked the local carpet maker for a loan, which 4 year old Iqbal would work to pay off. And so began 6 years of 12-16 hour working days behind locked doors in dark, cramped, and unsafe factories.
Iqbal had the courage to escape, twice. The first time he was returned to work by adults he trusted. But the second time he was found by a group of university students who were working to release children from their bonded labour. Over time Iqbal became an international spokesman for bonded children throughout Pakistan.
And then, at 12 years of age, he was assassinated.
This books is Iqbal’s true story, told to Andrew Crofts by the young man who found Iqbal and gave him a voice. This young man is now in hiding in Europe, powerless to help any more children.
This book contains a very powerful story, and one that needs to be told widely, again and again. Unfortunately the writing style resembles more a newspaper report than an engaging story. Sadly, Iqbal doesn’t reach out and grab your attention. Andrew Crofts should have read books likeChinese Cinderella or Mao’s Last Dancer, clearly chosen his target audience, and then tried to tell the story with a strong first person narrative.
In the afterword Andrew Crofts explains that a film is being made of the story. Good!
