Himalayan Heist
This is an adventure story for adults and young adults. It is a breathlessly exciting page-turner, in the long tradition of quest stories.
The complex and shifting relationships of the three main protagonists – Alex and James, and their engaging girl companion Bim – are put to the test as they work their way through the beautiful and dangerous Nepalese landscape. They know what they have to do, but not what they will be required to face. Perils confront them at every turn, some natural, others man-made. The Nepalese landscape – presented in vivid and almost tactile clarity – can be beautiful, but also menacing.
In many adventure stories the characters are the main interest and the setting is little more than a lifeless backcloth; or the landscape is the writer’s real subject and the protagonists are anaemic stereotypes whose only purpose is to move the story forward. But here the characterisation is enmeshed within the action and the setting. Without noticing, readers find themselves caring about the characters, anxious when they are separated, comforted when they are reunited.
The author is a traveller. She writes about places and people she knows well, so there is an integrity in her writing and a total authenticity in the heft and feel of the story. So her accounts of the wildlife, the valleys and mountains and rivers, and the people the three main characters come across, have truth in them.
Victor Watson, editor of The Cambridge Guide to Children's Books in English
Himalayan Hideout
The adventures of Alex and James continue on as they brave hunger and every kind of wildlife in Nepal in order to rescue their kidnapped conservationist parents. Young readers are introduced to Nepal's past, a time when real-life kidnappings of conservationists occurred. Not only will readers learn about the history of Nepal and the rich wildlife and foods there, they will be reminded of the grit it takes to stand up for what one believes. Beautifully told and illustrated, a real treat!
Lizbeth Meredith, author
Snowfed Waters
Snowfed Waters is a tribute to the indomitable human spirit and to the human ability to love and bond with strangers over shared tragedies. Thus tragedy doesn’t remain a villain but becomes something that unites people belonging to different places, culture and languages. In today’s world, this is a lesson we all need to imbibe in ourselves, and that is the reason this book is important, something every reader can relate to.
Nilesh Mondal in kitaab.org
Chasing the Tiger
The second book in the series is a fun work of fiction layered upon a factual description of an exotic life in the Himalayan nation of Nepal, written by an author in residence there. The latest tale is a fast-paced and exciting adventure where the main characters encounter the local wild-life and cultures, with lovely line drawings of the animals interspersed in the text as amusing and interesting bonus material. Though aimed primarily at readers in the 8- to 12-year old age range, this book will bring pleasure to all who open it.