You might have already spotted that this is not a kids book, but every now and then I sneak in a non-fiction book that inspires me as a writer and/or mum.

I love travel books and am going through a phase of reading extreme adventure travel books, but my gentle rambles always feel rather tame by comparison, so I was drawn to an Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgrim in the Himalayas and the idea of a businessman with no particular action credentials setting off on a pilgrimage. And as I recently published a kids book on mindfulness (BElieve in YOUrself) and the sequel is out soon, the contemplative aspect also caught my attention. From the blurb, I did wonder if the author might be a bit too introspective or self-absorbed for me, but I shouldn’t have worried. I was totally drawn in to his story from the very start with the “inciting incident” (the writer in me always looks for the trigger for any story, fact or fiction). And I loved the conversations with his wife – it all felt so authentic. It’s different to anything I’ve read before, and well-worth looking at, even if it’s not your usual genre.

Blurb

After being threatened by a Bangalore mob boss, retired Indian businessman in Mohan Ranga Rao makes a vow: if he somehow gets out of the situation, he will thank the gods by going on Kailash Mansarova, a holy mountain pilgrimage in Tibet. What starts out as merely a challenging high-altitude trek soon becomes a life-changing adventure. With a blend of humor, honesty and keen insight, Mohan journeys toward a deeper understanding of the world around him.

A memoir of a road less traveled and a true story of self-discovery at 18,000 feet.

Author Bio

Mohan Ranga Rao is an accomplished businessman, an avid traveller and a generous philanthropist. He has visited over thirty different countries and is drawn to places of natural beauty and physically-challenging trails. Mohan lives in Mysore with his wife Mamatha. They have two adult children. He plays tennis daily, takes frequent hikes and reads anything from scotch labels to quantum physics to Vedanta.