In the Golden Mountains

In the picturesque Pahari village of Ranachatti, Kshama, orphaned at 17, embarks on a journey of resilience, becoming the region's first female tour guide. Against the backdrop of the snow-capped mountains -her constant in the everchanging world- Kshama encounters Abhay, who reignites her belief in love. Just as life aligns, a heartbreaking twist shatters their world. In the coastal town of Jogibettu, Karnataka, Radhika's life takes a devastating turn. Overnight, she is unjustly branded a siren and a gold digger. To her dismay, her true love, Vidvath, proves himself a coward, refusing to stand up for her. To salvage their reputations, the elders devise the only moral solution - an immediate marriage between the 17-year-old Radhika and the 19-year-old Vidvath. Then December 2004 unfolds with a calamity of colossal proportions, weaving the destinies of Kshama, Abhay, Radhika, and Vidvath together. In the Golden Mountains is a poignant coming-of-age novel that delves into the delicate transition from childhood to adulthood, exploring the complexities of adolescence and the weight of grown-up responsibilities. As the characters confront their pasts, the narrative unfolds, offering a gripping tale of love, strength, and the profound impact of life-altering choices. About the Author: Ashwini Shenoy is an Indian author best known for her debut novel Shikhandini - Warrior Princess of the Mahabharata. Her other works include Gift of Life (Contemporary fiction, 2021) and short stories such as The Mix-up, Those Girls, and The Woman in my House. Shenoy lives in Bangalore with her family, juggling her passion for technology and her love for the written word.