A Glimpse of Eternal Snows
When I read the media release for this book I thought “Oh no, it’s going to be a real tear jerker” and I put it aside to concentrate on other more worldly tomes. I could not have been more wrong, and it will be a very long time before I forget this book. In fact, I hope I never do.
David, Dr Jane Wilson-Howarth’s second son, was born with serious neurological disorders. Battle after battle with the medical profession, who had diagnosed David as severely retarded, forced the family to make a life changing decision. To stay in England, where David had access to the best medical services or return to Nepal, where they could make his short life one worth living.
Against huge opposition, they returned to Nepal and that’s where this story of courage, love and beauty really begins. It’s a shared story of adventure, colour and humanity. The shining thread that pulls the book together is their love for their ‘beautiful boy’ and the disparity between the embarrassment they encountered back home to the Nepalese people’s huge love and admiration for David’s differences.
It is a celebration of life, beautifully written with clearness devoid of any self-indulgent grief or blame. David’s differences are woven tenderly within the descriptions of the vibrant Nepalese culture and the family that adored him. It’s a story of triumph and a glimpse of eternal snows. I’m very glad I read it.
Deb Perry The Sunshine Coast Daily www.thedaily.com.au
Your Child Abroad: a travel health guide
This book is so informative and so interesting, it is absolutely mandatory for parents traveling with children in areas of the world where there are health issues beyond your experience. There is a prodigious amount of up-to-date and accessible information packed into this volume--and it's the kind of book that you want to read from cover to cover, even the parts less relevant to your needs. My husband and I recently returned from a six-month sojourn in Thailand, Laos and Burma with our four children (aged 7, 5, 3 and 1). We carried this book as part of our medical kit, and it was invaluable in preparing that medical kit and also in helping to plan our trip itinerary (i.e., the book convinced us that malaria was the one nonnegotiable health issue). Memorable anecdotes from expatriate and traveling families pepper the book. There's nothing else like this out there.
Wendy Leonard (New York)
Himalayan Kidnap
This is an exotic adventure story about two brothers who have found out their parents have been kidnapped and must travel through the jungles of Nepal to find them. Their travels encounter fast flowing rivers and a maze of long dark cavernous caves with murderous men hot on their heels. I read this book not knowing if I would like it or not but by the first chapter it was hard not to get glued. I loved that this book gives you a taste for Nepali culture and an understanding of the animals that live there. Each chapter includes pictures of Nepalese animals some of which were new to me. I recommend this book to people age 8 and above.
Tess, aged 13