Himalayan Kidnap
... a compelling political and ecological wildlife adventure in the Himalayan mountains. Recalling Kipling’s Jungle Book,
Wilson-Howarth’s attention to cultural and zoological detail provocatively weaves a riveting collision of civilizations, avalanches, and river boat escapes as two brothers search for their kidnapped parents by ruthless Maoist terrorists.
From goats getting sick from eating plastic bags (“Now everyone uses plastic, and its not good for the goats,”), to life and death underwater struggles with crocodiles, this harrowing adventure left my husband and me on the edge of our seats. Himalayan Kidnap is a nuanced tale with sensitively imagined characters.
Although intended for kids 8-12, it’s an exciting read for adults. Can’t wait for the continuing adventures of Alex
and James!
Micaela Amateau Amato
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
Snowfed Waters
This is an adventure to Nepal for the reader. Wilson-Howarth's descriptions of countryside, wildlife, smells, tastes, textures, and sounds are so alive and engaging that I felt as if I really was there. Her assured depiction of Nepali society and culture is even more gripping and informative, if that's possible. Wilson-Howarth, a Cambridge GP, draws on long experience of living and practising medicine in Nepal. The story is told by several of the characters, English Sonia on her first visit to this magical, totally foreign country, and Nepalis of different castes. So we readers grasp the culture clash in a way which is touching and often amusing. This page-turner makes gentle fun of many cultural misunderstandings. I recommend Snowfed Waters to anyone because if you want to learn to write, read this to learn how; it's an amazing travel account from a master in the field, a gripping and very human story of personal development, and a joyful experience of writerly writing.
Dr Gillie E J Bolton, author