TIBET, 1954. The highest pass of the Himalayas is silent save for the flapping of prayer flags. Seven thousand feet below, two travellers arrive on foot in the remote town of Shigatse intending to make it their new home. Steeped in the Quaker tradition of pacifi sm, and longing to live in a society that has embraced non-violence for centuries, Emma and Gerald Kittredge are soon happily adopted by their Tibetan neighbours, Dorje and Rinchen, and their small family. The arrival of Maoist soldiers into their quiet life shatters everything. In the upheaval that follows Gerald is captured, 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. Together they will battle for freedom: for themselves, for those they love, and for a country tormented by foreign imperialism. Summoning three distinct voices, each resonant with their respective cultural traditions, Falling to Heaven conjures a panoramic tale that unfolds the mysteries of an ancient and peaceful way of life.