"As a non-Indian reader, I came closer to seeing India than I ever have to date. You put me there effortlessly. You treat cultural differences gracefully, explaining them without judgment, which is refreshing."

"Baapu! You had me in tears! This book is one of the most positive things I've ever come across in my life."

"The way you have described Indian traffic and that fire alarm thing, I couldn't stop laughing. For the first time, I got to see my country from a non-Indian's perspective."

"Learning about all the people and all the places in his own words was fascinating. He has such a rich soul, that he always inspires me with his views of the world. I highly recommend his book."

"I felt the adventure, fun, and great time you had. I felt the genuine love you shower on your Indian sons and daughters. To sum it all, this book made me feel like a part of your world, and I can bet that everyone who reads this book is going to feel the same way."

"I couldn't stop my tears at places when it was time for you to bid farewell to your Indian families. There was such honesty in the words that I felt that I was that family."

"I feel more connected now to you, Judy, and your Indian families after reading your book. The original travelogue touched Indian hearts after seeing so much love for India from an American man. This book touches the soul because it lets us have a peek into your life and you, as a person."

"This book gives us many life lessons, my favorite being: 'Little things matter'. We all have them; those small moments or things that often go unnoticed or unappreciated because we think they're insignificant or we take them for granted because we live in a culture that only celebrates big accomplishments. This book teaches us to be positive and enjoy the little things in life."

"In this book you don't read about Rick's journey to India, you GO with him and you do exactly what the book says, you see India through his eyes. I felt I was with him when he talked about different places. He actually describes the lifestyle in India and didn't sugarcoat it, I loved how authentic everything felt. Towards the end of it I was hungry from all the food descriptions and teary from all the good byes. This is a wonderful book packed with emotion and reality! Highly Recommend."

In 2014, my wife and I helped a young Bengali woman who was visiting the US for the first time when 15,000 travelers were stranded overnight at the Dallas Airport. We remained friends and grew close, keeping in touch online. In 2015, she asked that we come to India to be in her wedding party as her "American parents." It was an incredible way to experience India for the first time!

At the request of a few Indian friends from an online forum, I wrote a short travelogue about that first experience in India. More than 100,000 Indians read what I wrote that month! Many were young people who became close online friends. Some wrote me with personal issues. They began calling me "Baapu," "Baba," "Angel Paa," "Touji," "Papa Rick," and "Dad." I called them the sons and daughters of my heart.

In 2017, we returned to India and stayed with the families of five of them in five different cities.

This book tells that story.