To a Mountain in Tibet
Colin Thubron
HarperCollins
From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. Е“The mountain path is the road of the dead,Вќ writes Thubron (Shadow of the Silk Road) in this engrossing and affecting travel memoir that transcends the mere physical journey. In the wake of his motherTMs death, Thubron sets off to Mount Kailas in Tibet, a peak sacred to one-fifth of the worldTMs population and the source of four of IndiaTMs great rivers. Kailas has never been climbed: the slopes are important to Tibetan Buddhists who say the mountainTMs guardian is Demchog (a tantric variant of Shiva). Along with two guides, Thubron embarks on a pilgrimage that begins in Nepal and crosses into Tibet, recounting not only his arduous journey but also the political and cultural history of Tibet and the WestTMs continued fascination with its mysticism. Along the way, he observes pilgrims of various religions converging on Kailas and the myriad monasteries, most of which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt decades later. It is the poignant evocations of his mother and sister (who died at 21), interwoven with his profound respect for the Tibetan culture and landscape that make ThubronTMs memoir an utterly moving read. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved. FromStarred Review Kailas is a sacred, snow-capped mountain of the Himalayas in a remote area of western Tibet. There have been no recorded attempts to climb it, in deference to Buddhist, Hindu, BпїЅn, and Jainist beliefs. Award-winning British travel writer and novelist Thubron (Shadow of the Silk Road, 2007) traveled along the Karnali River (a tributary of the Ganges) by foot with only a guide, a cook, and a horse man on a long and often treacherous trek to visit this mystical peak, considered holy by one-fifth of humankind. The journey is the reward, for both writer and reader, in this rich, beautiful account of the landscape, people, culture, and politics of Tibet. Much more than a travel guide or history lesson, this engrossing and gorgeously written book is also a stirring memoir tinged with the authorпїЅs own grief, reflecting on the joys and losses heпїЅs experienced. Thubron is the steward of his fatherпїЅs legacy and keeper of his motherпїЅs memories, sharing familial recollections on a pilgrimage toward one of natureпїЅs precious jewels, and his own parentless future. --Chris Keech