Snowfed Waters
Sonia escapes to Nepal only to find no escape from herself. In a confrontation with another culture that becomes more life-enhancing and a land more life-threatening than anything she has ever experienced before, her overwhelming problems back in England gradually transform into trifling matters for her. Meanwhile her Nepalese employer Rekraj and hostess Guliya aren’t quite sure what to make of this obviously disturbed Westerner, but then Guliya’s teenaged daughter Moti befriends Sonia and adventures ensue. Told from five points of view and voices that weave together a rich tapestry of cultural confrontation, this story deftly draws one into minds with very different perspectives.
The transformative effect of Nature in full flow is another character in this story. Its voice underpins and carries the tale like the river that becomes so important in Sonia’s reinvention. This journey that Sonia undertakes to heal herself is a guidebook on how to become whole by facing reality and by learning how not to suffer from the fairytales we create for ourselves. When we do confront reality, we might just notice a more satisfying magic begins to unfold inside and all around us.
Amy Corzine author of The Secret Life of the Universe
Himalayan Heist
This a fast-paced and gripping adventure story is set in the Himalayan kingdom of Nepal. Jane Wilson-Howarth clearly has an amazing knowledge of Nepal and the details of wildlife and landscape add to the richness of the storytelling. She tackles difficult subjects such as climate change and the trade in rare wild animals but the story never loses its momentum. Alex and James and their Nepali friend Bim survive crashes, captures and the hazardous landscape on their journey through the mountains. The reading is never dull and includes sound effects from Nepal to give it a sense of the real place.
Penny Speller
Chasing the Tiger
This is another romping Himalayan adventure. This time the boys, and their long-suffering friend Bim, end up in the high Himalayas where they encounter a family of hungry bears and even a snow leopard and much more astonishing wildlife as they wander, lost, amongst the crags and deep into terrorist territory.
Himalayan Hideout
This book, not like many others, it starts by plunging you into an adventure, where you are instantly gripped. I really loved this book and read it in an afternoon. It is not the children being kidnapped, but the adults. The children set off on a long fun, challenging adventure encountering lots of different animals with beautiful descriptions and illustrations. You feel as if you could walk up to them and greet them with their full name. The different personalities of the children really bring the story alive. There are two boys, the younger one thinks mainly of food and the older one tries to be clever but fails desperately over time because the girl out-smarts his thinking with her knowledge of Nepali culture. I think everyone would enjoy this book, even if you don’t have a particular interest in different animals. By the end, you will have a knowledge of more than just foxes and badgers.
Toma, aged 12