'Asha and The Spirit Bird' by Jasbinder Bilan is a wonderful story of one girl's determined search for her father. When Asha's father who works in the city stops sending wages and writing to the family, she makes it her mission to find out what happened to him, to prevent her family farm from being sold, and her family having to move to London.

She and her best friend Jeevan map out a journey that will take them across the Himalayas. Asha will be faced with a number of challenges along the way, including hunger, exhaustion and even a natural disaster, but she will be guided by the wonderful lamagaia bird and a green-eyed tiger, who she believes to be the spirits of her ancestors.

The story has wonderful descriptions of setting and I felt utterly transported when reading it. I also loved the fact that it came with a glossary of Hindi and Punjabi words, which so brilliantly places the reader in the culture being described. Jasbinder Bilan beautifully shows the importance of family and the amazing links that can exist between its members, even beyond death.

This is one of my favourite passages in which Asha's mother gives her a very special pendant shaped like a teardrop:

I touch its surface which is like fine gold lace, and wrap my fingers around it.

"Oh, Ma..." I can't find the right words. "It's beautiful... I'm honoured to have it and I promise to look after it forever."

"Your nanijee said to give it to you on your twelfth birthday, but I think you should have it now. It's been passed through the generations, always to the eldest daughter. It's a very special gift, Asha." Ma holds my face in her hands. "The pendant is an ancient symbol called a buta," she says. "It comes from the Northern himalayas. That's where Nanijee's family came from, where your mountain eyes are from and where the lamagaias originate."

She leads me to a mirror behind the shrine and the pendant catches golden light from the flickering deeva, illuminating Ma's face behind me, and in this moment a rhythm sweeps through my body as if I'm connecting to all the daughters in my family who have worn it before me.

I would thoroughly recommend this story to middle grade readers, particularly those who love an adventure!