Published posthumously by Niyogi Books in February 2017, “White Crane, Lend Me Your Wings: A Tibetan Tale of Love and War” by Dr Tsewang Yishey Pemba is a work of historical fiction set in the Nyarong Valley in the Kham province of Eastern Tibet in the first half of the twentieth century.
The book was officially launched with events both in Delhi and Dharamsala. Read a review by Thubten Samphel published in the Hindustan Times here.
From the Niyogi Books website:
Dr Pemba skillfully weaves a dazzling tapestry of individual lives and sweeping events creating an epic vision of a country and people during a time of tremendous upheaval.
The novel begins with a never-told-before story of a failed Christian mission in Tibet and takes one into the heartland of Eastern Tibet by capturing the zeitgeist of the fierce warrior tribes of Khampas ruled by their chieftains. This coming-of-age narrative is a riveting tale of vengeance, warfare and love unfolded through the life story of two young boys and their family and friends.
The personal drama gets embroiled in a national catastrophe as China invades Tibet forcing it out of its isolation. Ultimately, the novel delves into themes such as tradition versus modernity, individual choice and freedom, the nature of governance, the role of religion in people’s lives, the inevitability of change, and the importance of human values such as loyalty and compassion.
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