Far from the Rooftop of the World: Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents

by Amy Yee

Overview

In 2008, the Chinese government cracked down on protests throughout Tibet, and journalist Amy Yee found herself covering a press conference with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, his exile home in India. She never imagined a personal encounter with the spiritual leader would spark a global, fourteen-year journey to spotlight the stories of Tibetans in exile. As she documents how Tibetans live between worlds, Yee comes to know ordinary but extraordinary people like Topden, a monk and unlikely veterinary assistant; Norbu, a chef and political refugee; and Deckyi and Dhondup, a couple forced to leave their middle-class lives in Lhasa. Yee follows them to other parts of India and across oceans and four continents where they forge new lives while sustaining Tibetan identity and culture.

Weaving a sweeping travel narrative with intimate on-the-ground reportage, Far from the Rooftop of the World tells these stories and others against the backdrop of milestones and events in Tibet’s recent history – many memorable, too many tragic. The resulting portrait illuminates the humanity, strength, and perseverance of a people whose homeland is in crisis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781469675527
Publisher:	The University of North Carolina Press
Publication date:	10/12/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	280
File size:	544 KB

About the Author

Amy Yee is an award-winning journalist, currently with the Chicago Sun-Times, previously with Bloomberg/CityLab, and a former Financial Times staff reporter in New York and Delhi correspondent covering India and South Asia.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Beautifully observed, with full-bodied, engaging characters who are never lost in the shadow of Chinese politics. Amy Yee has done a wonderful job of capturing the details, dramas, and dignities of Tibetan life in exile.”—Peter Hessler, author of River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze and Oracle Bones: A Journey through Time in China, finalist for the National Book Award

“In too many narratives, Tibetans are merely faceless victims. But in this perceptive and empathic work, Amy Yee shows we are people full of life, dreams, nuances, and resilience.”—Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet

“This extraordinary, compassionate work takes us into both physical and spiritual worlds. When we finish the book, we are left changed. We can see who we were when we began it and who we are now.”—Akhil Sharma, author of Family Life, winner of the International Dublin Literary Award

Editorial Reviews

“Yee renders her subjects on the page with energetic prose that focuses foremost on their humanity, not the tragedies that have befallen them, individually and collectively . . . . a deeply researched and empathetic look at a people who remain largely unknown or misunderstood to American readers, akin to fellow journalist Barbara Demick’s excellent book, Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea. Readers who seek to understand the plight of our fellow humans in other parts of the world should hang on every word.”—Hannah Bae, The Boston Globe

“Powerful . . . . Over the course of more than a decade, [Yee’s] interactions and correspondences with her Tibetan contacts blossomed into a non-fiction narrative that is among the first of its kind . . . . Yee’s focus on authentic lived experiences—stories that could only be written with deep and trusted connections—establishes a model for responsible and effective refugee representation.”—Joshua Peng, Wilson Center

“"Through incredible personal narratives, Far from the Rooftop of the World paints a deep, nuanced picture of the Tibetan diaspora and the real human impact of China’s policy toward Tibet.”—Foreword Reviews

“Engaging . . . . The Tibetan exiles she follows are resilient, resourceful and proud of their heritage. They are excellent ambassadors for a country that China insists has never existed and the very idea of which is treasonous: a free Tibet . . . . captivating.”—The Economist

“[Yee] takes us with her into the homes, streets, schools, and communities of Tibetan refugees in India, intimately introducing us to unforgettable individuals and showing us their dreams and losses and the ordinary moments of their lives.”—Lion’s Roar

“[A comprehensive] look at look at the Tibetan refugee experience . . . . with atmospheric details, historical facts, and scenes from daily life in India, all of which Yee recounts in a [vulnerable and charming] narratorial voice.”—Kirkus Reviews

“"Compelling . . . . evocative . . . . Yee’s style is fresh and accessible, warm with fondness and sympathy for her subjects, and seldom overly indulging in the romanticism that perfumes much prose on Tibet.”—Nikkei Asia

From the Publisher

2023-07-26
A Chinese American journalist uses the lives of three Tibetan refugees living in India to illustrate the personal costs of Tibet's political struggle.

In March 2008, at a talk commemorating the Tibetan Uprising of 1959, journalist Yee, a former Delhi correspondent for the Financial Times, was stunned when the Dalai Lama singled her out in front of a crowd of reporters. Referencing her heritage, he told Yee that it was up to journalists like her to tell the stories necessary to broker a lasting peace between China and Tibet. Following his directive seriously, the author wrote this “close-up look at the lives of ordinary Tibetans in exile who make their way in the world far from their homeland.” In the introduction, Yee writes that the story focuses on three refugees: Topden, a monk and avid basketball fan, and “unlikely veterinary assistant”; Deckyi, a Mandarin speaker who fled China with her husband after photocopying fliers for Tibetan monks active in the resistance; and Norbu, a cook who the author met when he invited her to a rehearsal for a play about the experience of Chinese imprisonment. Yee also writes about her encounters with other relevant individuals, including Chinese activist Chin Jin, who believes that the battle for Chinese democracy is intertwined with the Tibetan freedom struggle; Kelsang Wangmo, a Buddhist nun from Germany who was studying for her geshe degree, “the equivalent of a PhD for Tibetan monastics”; and Vinayak Sharma, an Indian lawyer who attended a Tibetan primary school and now does pro bono legal work for the community. This densely researched book is stuffed with atmospheric details, historical facts, and scenes from daily life in India, all of which Yee recounts in a narratorial voice that is eager, vulnerable, and charming. Unfortunately, the narrative is structurally weak, bouncing between disparate topics at a dizzying pace, which may lose some readers.

A well-intentioned, comprehensive, meandering look at the Tibetan refugee experience.

Kirkus Reviews