Daughter of Tibet

Rating:
Summary: Through the eyes of a Tibetan Buddhist
Review: Daughter of Tibet provides a rare glimpse into the Tibetan culture prior to the Chinese takeover in the 1950s, courtesy of Mary-la, Rinchen Dolma Taring, whom I had the pleasure to meet in the early 1970s in Mussoorie, India. For those with the ability to temporarily discard the trappings of Western culture, Taring guides the way to learning about everyday Tibetan life, Tibetan politics and that which permeates everything Tibetan, Buddhism. The reader is transported to that magical "Land of the Snows" where, amid the harsh environment, a cheerful, hospitable, learned and deeply religious people flourished. A must-read for anyone interested in Tibet and its current sorrow.

Rating:
Summary: Romance and Reality in Tibet
Review: Rinchen Dolma Taring's book is a potentially remarkable narrative of the almost gut-wrenching speed with which most Tibetans were thrust into the harsh realities of the 20th century. It is a pity therefore that the naivete of the story-telling does not mature as the author does. She remains in the telling, a wide-eyed voyeur with superficial comprehension of the tumultous events that devastated the country and displays little empathy with the ordinary men and women who accompanied her into exile. This, whilst reflective of her class in the old city of Lhasa is irritating in the context of Tibet in the 21st century. Not a truly serious read, it is probably best appreciated by readers graduating from Enid Blyton to PG Wodehouse.