What readers think of Across Many Mountains, plus links to write your own review.

ACROSS MANY MOUNTAINS: A TIBETAN FAMILY'S EPIC JOURNEY FROM OPPRESSION TO FREEDOM by Yangzom Brauen is made up of descriptions of one Tibetan family’s progression through different cultures, beginning in Tibet before the Chinese invasion and ending in Switzerland until they do a complete circle and return to Tibet many years later after the Chinese allow them back in. Each culture the family moves to is more technologically advanced than the last. This book is about their ability to cope in each new culture and how they view Tibet on their return. At least, that’s what I thought Brauen intended.

Actually, only two members of the family, the mother and daughter, make it all the way. The daughter’s daughter, Brauen, did not make the journey as the title and cover picture imply. She was born and raised in Switzerland but likes to call both Switzerland and Tibet her countries. Although she did go to Tibet with her mother, brother, grandmother, and Swiss father many years later, their return wasn’t permanent.

But the book doesn’t end there. Maybe it ought to. Instead, it continues. Notice, I say the book continues, not the story. That is because my impression was that the continuation was another story, that of Brauen’s protests against oppression of Tibet and her hope that Tibet not be forgotten.

I have a problem with books that have no dialog, with unemotional, impersonal descriptions of people and things. That’s how this book is, especially in its first half. It contains so many details it drags. Details should enhance a story. But here they mostly don’t because the author tries to cover too much.

This is the risk I find in most nonfiction. Although I prefer nonfiction over fiction, most nonfiction fails for me because most authors don’t know how to write it other than to state the facts.

Although the second half of this book is better than the first, it, too, is made up of many impersonal descriptions. I was never made angry, sad, touched, or happy for anyone.

This book has received many favorable reviews on amazon.com and goodreads.com. Maybe you should believe them and not me. Maybe you will be able to manage to keep your mind from wandering. But I think that will be a trick.

I was particularly interested in reading this book because although I have heard about the Chinese occupation of Tibet and the oppression of the Tibetan people, I knew nothing about the history of the country. As a school social worker in a school with 300 refugee students from 80 different countries, I try to read books about people of different cultures as often as possible. I also love historical fiction, as well as books about strong women. I found all three women in the book, the grandmother, Kunsan, the mother, Sonam, and Yangzom, the daughter and author, to be amazing, courageous women in their own distinct way. Anyone who loves to learn about culture and history from stories about real people who lived through it will love this story. When I reached the end of the book, I felt tremendous empathy for the current plight of the Tibetan people.

For me this was a bit of a surprise. I expected to read much of the Chinese invasion of Tibet. What I found was a personal journal of three generations of Tibetan refugees, including very interesting details of Tibetan culture and religion. I felt that the latter third of the book was the most richly described, possibly because this portion represented the author's personal experiences. A very interesting read.

This book expanded my knowledge of Tibet and its recent history. I have recently studied the history of China for the last 5000 years. The border of China has expanded and contracted over many centuries. This book prompted me to think about all the groups that were enfolded into China against their will. The most successful of the Chinese expansions occurred when the existing culture and government were left in place. It is interesting that China has not learned that lesson and has treated Tibet harshly. However, many of the atrocities that occurred during the course of this story were products of the Chinese cultural revolution, which affected many people in China, not just in Tibet. This is not the book to read if you want a balanced view of the history in that part of the world. It is told from the viewpoint of Tibetans, who have, in fact, lost many of their religious freedoms. I found this book informative and interesting. It would be a good book club book as the discussion could cover recent Tibetan history from a more objective viewpoint.

I liked this book. You could tell that the writer really knew what she was writing about. Sometimes the descriptions the details were a little to long and for me that made it a slow read for me. But I learned a lot about Tibet and Buddhism. I really admired the grandmother. Her determination is a good lesson for all. Also I really loved the cover.

A compelling, personal account of the lives of three generations of Tibetan women. A story of survival, faith, courage, and adaptation.I think this book should appeal to anyone interested in the Tibet/China conflict, Buddhism, and the strength of women. I found Yangzom Brauen's descriptions of her grandmother's Buddhist practices and the Tibetan culture enlightening and often humorous. There is a lot to learn on many levels from this short, clearly written memoir.

Not many authors can combine so much history and personal experiences and have them work together. This book does a fine job with both areas. The knowledge I gained about Tibet and the Buddhist religion was an added bonus to gleaming into the lives of these three woman. It was refreshing to read about people who still hold tradition, and "homeland" so dear to their heart. A great read that I will recommend to my book club as well as a handful of friends.

Three generations of women over a century before and after the Chinese occupation makes for a fascinating account of escape, oppression, religion and family. At times a little long and the writing a bit flat, but highly recommend for those interested in the culture of Tibet.