Patrick French
Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land (2003)
Author: Patrick French
Genre: Nonfiction (Travel/History/Memoir)
Book Summary:
Tibet, Tibet is part Tibetan history lesson, part portrait of the Tibetan people and culture, and part Patrick French's memoir, detailing his evolving relationship with Tibet and its people. The author's fascination began with an introduction to Tibetan Buddhism when he left the Roman Catholic faith of his English childhood. He became involved in the Free Tibet Campaign in the 1980's and into the 1990's. He embarked upon a journey through Tibet in 1999, leaving his family behind in England in order to discover the real Tibet--not the idealized "mind's Tibet" that is fed to the Western world through its media.
Geographical Setting: Tibet (China)
Time Period: Ancient times to present day (2003)
Appeal Characteristics:
A nominee for the 2004 Thomas Cook Travel Award, Tibet, Tibet blends the history of struggle with China into a portrait of the Tibetan culture and people, past and present. French interviewed many Tibetans who oppose the Chinese rule at great personal risk to himself as well as the interviewees (the Public Security Bureau, or PSB, does not look favorably upon foreign tourists who could undermine the "security and stability of [Communist] society"). This creates moments of suspense and foreboding as the reader wonders if the author will ever be caught by the PSB. French's writing is direct, deliberately paced, and unembellished; sections of Tibetan history or tales of folk heroes are placed betwen the interviews with individual Tibetans or descriptions of French's journeys across the isolated "rooftop of the world."
Read-alikes: For those interested in learning more about Tibetan culture or Tibetan Buddhism, there are many books for further reading. The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living (1998) by His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV and psychiatrist Howard C. Cutler is a bestseller in which the Dalai Lama provides his thoughts and insights about the human condition through the lens of his Buddhist faith. Virtual Tibet: Searching for Shangri-La from the Himalayas to Hollywood (2000) by Orville Schell looks at depictions of Tibet in popular Western culture versus the reality of Tibet, a topic that French touches upon. Tibet: Cry of the Snow Lion (2003) is a documentary film that took more than 10 years to produce and may appease readers who want to see some of what they've read about. Written by Tibetan Buddhist Mdo-mkhar Tshe-rin-dbang-rgyal in the 18th century, the romantic adventure Tale of the Incomparable Prince remained untranslated until 1996 and should be suggested if a reader wants a work written by a Tibetan. Sky Burial (2004) by Xinran Xue is a novel based on a true story of a woman's 30-year journey through Tibet, searching for her husband who was supposedly killed while serving as a doctor in the army. The book is narrated as a memoir and readers will find personal revelations similar to French's, owing to a relationship with Tibet that spans many years. Of course, Seven Years in Tibet (1953) by Heinrich Harrer is the story of an Austrian man who travels to Tibet and befriends the Dalai Lama in 1943, just before the Chinese invasion. Readers should be aware that this bestselling novel presents an idealized Western vision of Tibet (it was made into a film starring Brad Pitt). If Tibet is not the most important element for the reader, try these other accounts of journeys through mysterious or remote locations: Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica (1999) by Sara Wheeler, or the classic Quest for the Lost City (2001, reprint) by Dana and Ginger Lamb that takes you through the jungles of Mexico in search of a lost Mayan city.
Red Flags: Brief but graphic descriptions of torture
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