From Publishers Weekly

In this touching, amiable and undemanding autobiography, Namgyal Lhamo Taklha, sister-in-law of the Dalai Lama, recounts her childhood in Tibet in the 1940s before the Chinese invasion as well as her life's chapters in India, Switzerland, the United States and back to India. As a student, refugee, translator, highly placed government health-care professional and consultant in Hollywood (for Scorsese on Kundun), Taklha surely appreciates the truth that life is change, an understanding embraced by her fellow Buddhists. Likely the greatest value of this work is in its detailed portrait of the veritably irreclaimable world of Tibet before Chinese occupation: the sights, smells, rituals and landscape of a precious culture now largely lost save through captured memories such as these. Taklha does not trade deeply on her in-law status to His Holiness, and readers yearning for intimate family glimpses of the 14th and current Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, will be disappointed. Although he is present in this narrative, he is cherished, revered and distant. Heir to two distinguished Tibetan lineages, Taklha's story is her own, filled with the twists and turns and triumphs that few experience on this grand scale of politics, spirituality, geography and grace.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Isolated, defenseless, and underpopulated, Tibet attracts the compassion of the world because China is intent upon destroying it as a nation and a culture and has been populating it with Han settlers. Many Tibetans have fled to northern India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Taklha, the wife of an older brother of the Dalai Lama, lived in Tibet as a child, fled to India with her family when the Chinese seized power, and has since worked for the Tibetan government-in-exile and various refugee groups. Well written and informative, the book is filled with the details of daily life in Tibet and in the refugee communities where Tibetan culture and nationhood are preserved. The author is a sympathetic observer of people, and her affection for her countryfolk and many others shows clearly. The reader will find the Tibetans portrayed here generally hopeful and cheerful in spite of their ongoing hardships. This straightforward, highly readable book will appeal to casual readers, but will also attract scholars interested in the author's history. Recommended for both public and academic libraries. James F. DeRoche, Alexandria, VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Mrs. Taklha's incredible life story is very gripping and emotional. Her writing style swept me into the story—I enjoyed this book from cover to cover."—Rinchen Dharlo, President of the Tibet Fund and the Conservancy for Tibetan Arts and Culture

"Born in Lhasa gives voice to an enduring human spirit. In fascinating detail, one woman's story documents a nation's history."—Whitney Stewart, author of The 14th Dalai Lama

From the Back Cover

"Mrs. Taklha's incredible life story is very gripping and emotional. Her writing style swept me into the story--I enjoyed this book from cover to cover."--Rinchen Dharlo, President of Tibet Fund and the Conservancy for Tibetan Arts and Culture

"Born in Lhasa gives voice to an enduring human spirit. In fascinating detail, one woman's story documents a nation's history."--Whitney Stewart, author of The 14th Dalai Lama

Namgyal Lhamo Taklha recounts her remarkable life in Born in Lhasa. She describes her childhood in a Tibet that no longer exists and chronicles her life and work on four continents. It is an engaging history of the Tibetan diaspora--dramatic and filled with anecdotes. Taklha's autobiography differs from those of other prominent Tibetans because she discusses the unexpected challenges of living in America and Europe.

Mrs. Taklha married the immediate elder brother of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. She is a member of the elected Parliament of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile and serves as Minister of Health. She lives in Dharamsala, India.

About the Author

Namgyal Lhamo Taklha married the immediate elder brother of His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. She is a member of the elected Parliament of theTibetan Government-in-Exile and serves as Minister of Health. She lives in Dharamsala, India.