Beyond Mount Kailash

Beyond Mount Kailash, the debut novel of Mitya New, follows a moving journey of family entanglements, spiritual growth, and the power of adoption.

Maria has always suffered under the pressure of her domineering German family and her strict unloving mother, who hides from her own Nazi family background and seeks social acceptance. Pushed to the breaking point, Maria escapes to Hong Kong, where she finds freedom as she discovers a foreign culture. Yet the desire for her mother’s approval remains ever-present.

In India, Maria and her husband decide to adopt a local girl. With her adopted daughter, Maria experiences the maternal love that she never received herself. When Maria’s mother opposes the adoption, leaving her torn on what to do, she retreats to an Indian ashram. In this moment of despair, she is persuaded to undertake a pilgrimage around the sacred Mount Kailash in Tibet. There, through selflessness and compassion, Maria ultimately finds the strength she has sought.

With rich storytelling and strong themes of familial conflict, spiritual growth, and the power of love through adoption, Beyond Mount Kailash invites readers on a transformative journey to discover how love transcends the boundaries of family and culture