Starred Review. In her remarkable book, writer and activist Sam examines the stories of varied Tibetan women-displaced aristocrats, impassioned freedom fighters, educators, and others-united in their desperation to reclaim their country. Over a period of years, Sam recorded stories of life under Chinese occupation, visiting her subjects by China's new "sky train." A third-generation Chinese-American, Sam also chronicles her own experiences in Tibet throughout the narrative, skillfully mimicking readers' slow discovery of the country in its many dimensions. Though complicated politically, Sam handles Tibet's dilemma with knowledge and grace, addressing the larger history of Tibet to reveal a beautiful, subtle culture that's as rich as it is foreign. At no time does Sam sugarcoat the effects of Chinese occupation on the people or the land, rendering human rights issues in terms of intensely personal experience. Visceral and deeply felt, this narrative deserves a read from anyone interested in human rights and the untold stories of oppressed women everywhere. 30 illus.
"A book that is sure to illuminate a Tibet so many of us have been longing to know." --Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple
"As a woman talking to women, Sam uncovers a much more intimate Tibet, which survives stubbornly in a tattered land. The passage of time between the interviews gives their testimonies both richness and preciousness . . . . captures the heart-rending complexities of Tibet and China and how close to home they can be. --San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
"Canyon Sam has made a miracle of a journey, and written a miracle of a book. Following her roots to China many years ago, she found instead Tibet as her spiritual home. She committed herself to a life of engaged Buddhism, working for human rights. Now in Sky Train, she guides the reader on a life-changing adventure back to Tibet and an epoch of cataclysmic change." --Maxine Hong Kingston, author of The Woman Warrior
"In her remarkable book, writer and activist Sam examines the stories of varied Tibetan women -- displaced aristocrats, impassioned freedom fighters, educators, and others -- united in their desperation to reclaim their country. A third-generation Chinese-American, Sam also chronicles her own experiences in Tibet throughout the narrative, skillfully mimicking readers' slow discovery of the country in its many dimensions. Though complicated politically, Sam handles Tibet's dilemma with knowledge and grace, addressing the larger history of Tibet to reveal a beautiful, subtle culture that's as rich as it is foreign. At no time does Sam sugarcoat the effects of Chinese occupation on the people or the land, rendering human rights issues in terms of intensely personal experience. Visceral and deeply felt, this narrative deserves a read from anyone interested in human rights and the untold stories of oppressed women everywhere." --Publishers Weekly, November 9, 2009
"What I learned from this wonderfully written book that compels with page-turning intensity is so much more than the history of how China swallowed Tibet, how 'change' looks and feels different depending on the eyes that view it. The inspiring lesson that stays with me as the book's afterglow is that of the ability of the mind that is filled with faith to emerge from the most dreadful privation unscathed, resilient. This book about the Dharma of connection, of companioning, of compassion, has strengthened my own devotion." --Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life
"[Pays] tribute to the courage and resilience of Tibetan women... Many readers will be moved by these powerful tales." --From the Foreword by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet
--From the Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"As a woman talking to women, Sam uncovers a much more intimate Tibet, which survives stubbornly in a tattered land. The passage of time between the interviews gives their testimonies both richness and preciousness . . . . captures the heart-rending complexities of Tibet and China and how close to home they can be. --San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
Canyon Sam has made a miracle of a journey, and written a miracle of a book. Following her roots to China many years ago, she found instead Tibet as her spiritual home. She committed herself to a life of engaged Buddhism, working for human rights. Now in Sky Train, she guides the reader on a life-changing adventure back to Tibet and an epoch of cataclysmic change. --Maxine Hong Kingston, author of The Woman Warrior
In her remarkable book, writer and activist Sam examines the stories of varied Tibetan women -- displaced aristocrats, impassioned freedom fighters, educators, and others -- united in their desperation to reclaim their country. A third-generation Chinese-American, Sam also chronicles her own experiences in Tibet throughout the narrative, skillfully mimicking readers' slow discovery of the country in its many dimensions. Though complicated politically, Sam handles Tibet's dilemma with knowledge and grace, addressing the larger history of Tibet to reveal a beautiful, subtle culture that's as rich as it is foreign. At no time does Sam sugarcoat the effects of Chinese occupation on the people or the land, rendering human rights issues in terms of intensely personal experience. Visceral and deeply felt, this narrative deserves a read from anyone interested in human rights and the untold stories of oppressed women everywhere. --Publishers Weekly, November 9, 2009
What I learned from this wonderfully written book that compels with page-turning intensity is so much more than the history of how China swallowed Tibet, how 'change' looks and feels different depending on the eyes that view it. The inspiring lesson that stays with me as the book's afterglow is that of the ability of the mind that is filled with faith to emerge from the most dreadful privation unscathed, resilient. This book about the Dharma of connection, of companioning, of compassion, has strengthened my own devotion. --Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job: Practicing for a Joyful Life
[Pays] tribute to the courage and resilience of Tibetan women... Many readers will be moved by these powerful tales. ----From the Foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
