Book Review: Across Many Mountains by Yangzom Brauen

About:

Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom by Yangzom Brauen is a non-fiction book which follows three generations of Tibetan women. The book is an insight into Tibetan’s society.

• 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312600135

My rating for Across Many Mountains – 4
Buy Across Many Mountains from Amazon.com*
More Books by Yangzom Brauen*

Thoughts:

Across Many Mountains: A Tibetan Family’s Epic Journey from Oppression to Freedom (Eisenvogel: Drei Frauen aus Tibet – die Geschichte meiner Familie) by Yangzom Brauen (website | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube) is sort of a cross between a memoir and a family history of the author. The book starts with the invasion of Tibet by China and Ms. Brauen’s grandmother’s escape.

Besides the exciting story, the book offers many insights into Tibetan society, culture, beliefs and class structure which I found very interesting. I don’t know much about the Chinese invasion or Tibetan culture and I’m glad to say I learned many things from reading this book.

Even though the book tackles some complex subjects, the writing is simple, eloquent and the story is readable. Even though the Chinese propaganda makes them seem as the liberators of Tibet, most people, including many Chinese nationals I can assume, know this is simply that – propaganda.

The author, an activist to free Tibet, tackles not only the issues which her grandmother had to tackle, but she also tackles them from today’s standpoint. After all, there is a whole new generation of Chinese which considers Tibet part of China.

This is an important book and I think Ms. Brauen did a great favor to the Tibetan community in Diaspora and in general with this publication. I have never read any memoir of Tibetan refugees and what they went through. Not only a refugee, but a mother of a refugee who must survive hunger, disease, hostile locals and, what we would consider, slave labor.

So tell me, have you read books about Tibet?

Synopsis:

The book is the story of the author’s grandmother, mother and herself. Starting in 1959, the story follows Ms. Brauen’s grandmother, Kunsang, as she escapes Tibet after the Chinese invasion. Kunsang was studyng to be a Buddhist nun but when she gets pregnant Kunsang gets married and gives birth to the author’s mother, Sonam.

Mother and daughter escape to India where Sonam meets a Swiss man, falls in love and brings her family to Switzerland. The last part of the book follows Ms. Brauen’s political activism to free Tibet.

Buy Across Many Mountains from Amazon.com*
More Books by Yangzom Brauen*

Zohar – Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free.
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books
This post appeared in the Book Review Blog Carnival #83.

 

Related articles

• burning tibet: Daughters of Mountain Ogress (worldwright.wordpress.com)
• The Tibetan Sky Burial (asiahotels.com)
• Putting out the fire – Buddhist monks in Tibet are lighting themselves on fire against China’s repressive rule. (worldwright.wordpress.com)
• Prayer session mourns death of 8 monks, nun – Times of India (news.google.com)

BOOK BLOGGERS – Have you read Across Many Mountains? If so link up your review below: