Kim is a novel written by Rudyard Kipling. It was published in 1901. Considered as Kiplings final and most famous novel, Kim records the adventures of an Irish orphan, Kimball OHara, in India who becomes the disciple of a Tibetan monk while learning espionage from the British secret service. While searching for spiritual salvation, the author is shown to be torn between two worlds: the spiritual life of the priest and the adventurous life of a spy. However, the novel has been highly appreciated by many for its colourful, rich, multilayered and nostalgic depiction of Indian culture.
Set in India under the British Empire, the main protagonist of the novel is an orphaned boy of Irish descent who grows up independently in the streets of India and is taken care of by a "half-caste" woman. Kim becomes a "native" and acquires the ability to blend into the many ethnic and religious groups of India. After his meeting with a wandering Tibetan monk, Kim becomes his follower and proceeds on a journey covering the whole of India.