A Long Way from Tibet - Softcover

Part memoir, part travel book, this absorbing account of the Tibetan community in exile also takes an unromantic look at Tibet today, no longer a remote, mystical, mountain kingdom but an oppressed nation struggling to maintain its identity.

The story unfolds on many levels and we are drawn into the fascinating culture of Tibet and its displaced citizens - from historical and political developments to the intricacies of religion and spirituality.

Intriguing glimpses of this world in exile include the mysteries of Tibetan medicine; an investigation of the sinister Dorje Shugden cult which resulted in murder and threats on the life of HH Dalai Lama and his subsequent - apparently uncharacteristic - ban on the cult; the flight of the Karmapa Lama and the controversy of the alternative claimants to the title; the story of the two Panchen Lamas and what became of them and an interview with the Dalai Lama; interviews, diary entries and case studies.

The terse almost journalistic style with lyrical, descriptive passages that create mood and atmosphere makes this is a gripping read. There is a great deal of local colour, as we come to know the Tibetan Community in exile in Mcleod Ganj Indias little Lhasa.

This beautifully penned book acquaints us with a culture that, though battered externally, seems to be alive in the hearts of its people.

At a moment in time when there are signals of a possible solution to the Tibetan problem, it is, above all, a documentation of the struggle of the Tibetan people for the freedom of their country.