Synopses & Reviews
A stirring glimpse into the culture of Tibet... A moving account of religion and love... A powerful debut by a talented new writer In 1954 Emma and Gerald Kittredge leave their secure Quaker community and travel to the small Tibetan town of Shigatse where they soon find companionship with their neighbors, Dorje and Rinchen, and their sons Dawa and Chumpa. But the arrival of Maoist soldiers into their quiet life shatters everything.
Gerald is captured by the soldiers, leaving a pregnant Emma at the mercy of her Tibetan neighbors; relying on them for survival and spiritual support. Dorje and Rinchen cope with their sons; one who chooses a path of violence, despite his monastic life, and the other who must grow up amid political struggle. Told in three distinct voices rich in their respective spiritual traditions, Falling to Heaven is ultimately a novel about faith: losing it and rediscovering it in places youd never expect.
In a startlingly poignant voice, debut writer Peterson explores the duality of religion as both the Quakers and Buddhists reconcile their spiritual tenets. And through it all, the reader witnesses an overwhelming beautyin the lush Himalayas of Tibet, considered the ceiling of the world, in a place believed to be the closest to heaven.
Review
"In this desperate tale of expatriates caught up in the Chinese occupation of Tibet, Jeanne Peterson captures the bitterness while keeping in touch with a more spiritual melancholy and a pulse of hope. Ones senses are flooded with tastes, smells and sounds that bring a very distant world and time to life."
Jonathan Falla, author of Blue Poppies
Synopsis
FALLING TO HEAVEN is the story of two American Quakers who trek into Tibet in 1954. In this work of historical fiction, Emma and Gerald Kittredge leave their secure Quaker community and travel to the Tibetan city of Shigatse where they soon find companionship with their neighbors, Dorje and Rinchen, and their small family. But the arrival of Maoist soldiers into their quiet life shatters everything. Gerald is captured by the soldiers, leaving a pregnant Emma facing an agonizing decision: flee Tibet or stay and risk imprisonment herself. Dorje and Rinchen are her only allies, but their lives are also thrown into turmoil when their son abandons the sanctuary of his monastery to fight in the resistance. Told in three distinct voices rich in their respective spiritual traditions, FALLING TO HEAVEN is ultimately a novel about faith: losing it and rediscovering it in places youd never expect. FALLING TO HEAVEN conjures a panoramic tale that unfolds the mysteries of an ancient and peaceful way of life. About the Author
JEANNE M. PETERSON is a clinical psychologist who worked for years with survivors of torture and communist reeducation from all over Asia. In her free time she facilitates an advanced writing group for San Diego Writers Ink, where she lives with her two sons.