Where the Story takes Place

Mount Everest (Sagarmatha)

Asha lives in the foothills of the Himalayas. These are part of the highest mountain range in the whole world. Mount Everest is the most famous mountain in this range and in Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language older than latin, is called Sagarmatha. It means the peak of heaven.
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The Himalayas are wild, dangerous and beautiful. In winter the snow falls thick and fast cutting some places off for weeks. Snow leopards and tigers, both of which are endangered, roam freely. There are bearded vultures (Lamagaias) and other birds or prey. If you want to find out more watch 'Mountain', a BBC documentary with the amazing David Attenborough.

Bearded Vulture (Lamagaia)

Temple

There are also incredible temples high up in the mountains and it's very usual for people to make pilgrimages to honour the source of the most important river in India, the Ganges. It's not so usual for children to do this by themselves, but this is what Asha does with her friend Jeevan.

"You were such a tiny thing when you came from your ma bloodied and bawling, barely bigger than my outstretched palm. As soon as I saw your mountain-green eyes, I knew you were special..."

Meet the Characters

ASHA - Hi I’m Asha. I’m eleven years old and live in a village called Moormanali, close to the Himalayas. Things have been tough ever since my papa had to leave our farm to work in the city. He hasn’t written a letter for ages and I’m really worried that something bad has happened to him.  I try really hard to help ma with all the chores as well as doing all my schoolwork. Sometimes when I’m walking high on the grazing grounds or milking the cows, I sense that someone is keeping watch…maybe spirits from the past?
  
JEEVAN - Hi I’m Jeevan, Asha’s best friend, even though I’m a boy! We hang out together all the time, building fires under the stars, climbing our secret mango tree and cooking pop-corn outside. I’m really into science and when I’m older I’d like to be an astronomer and maybe even visit the moon. I try to keep Asha’s feet on the ground, she has some wild ideas!

"There's a tiger prowling in front of the smoking fire, its amber striped skin, flashing golden in the setting sun, blood staining the corner of its mouth."