A Fight for a Cup of Chai: A Journey Through Labor, Loss, and Hope

Sanman Thapa

Jan 2025 · Sanman Thapa

About this ebook

A Fight for a Cup of Chai is a short, accessible nonfiction book about labor, loss, and resilience—told through lived experience.

In the 1990s, Nepal, a young factory worker loses his hand but not his voice. Through factory floors, friendship, and quiet acts of resistance, the book explores the dignity of work, migration, and the human cost behind everyday goods.

Originally written as a memoir, A Fight for a Cup of Chai is now being used in U.S. high-school classrooms for ELA, Global Studies, Civics, and senior projects. Its clear language and short chapters make it especially suitable for grades 9–12, discussion-based learning, and independent reading.

More than a story of loss, it is a reflection on endurance, belonging, and what it means to be seen.

“Wonderfully done… a book I will be sharing with my students for years to come.” — Verified Amazon Reviewer

Ratings and reviews

If you're looking for a book that truly resonates with the human experience, A Fight for a Cup of Chai by Sanman Thapa is an absolute gem. This memoir goes beyond mere storytelling; it opens the door to lives and struggles many may never encounter. Thapa invites us into the heart of Nepal's political movements in the '90s, shares the challenges faced in the garment industry, and recounts the harrowing moment of losing his hand in a shoe factory accident. Worth reading front to back.

About the author

Sanman Thapa is an educator and National Certified School Counselor whose nonfiction writing explores labor, migration, and resilience. His book A Fight for a Cup of Chai is used in U.S. high-school classrooms.