Falling to Heaven

I found this book to be engaging, compelling and very touching. I looked forward to reading about each of the characters every night. They are interesting, well developed and very human. I highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially people interested in the continuing situation in Tibet.

I read Falling to Heaven just before it actually came out - thank you private source - and couldn't put it down. Why does this book work? The characters are really well articulated - from the feisty Emma to the thoughtful and contemplative Dorje - they draw you in. The book weaves in their different stories in really remarkable ways. As I was reading, I particularly liked Emma, her desire to find out why her father abandoned her, her real enthusiasm for getting to know her Tibetan friends, her ability to surprise and shock - all of it added up to a woman I would love to know. In my post reading reflection - I find myself remembering her husband Gerald and his faith in the midst of pain - and it is his gentle, trusting presence in the face of cruelty that sticks. I am also drawn to Dorje - the man who is born to bridge cultures because of his mixed ethnicity. The plot line is quite simple - a young Quaker couple, Emma and Gerald, travel to Tibet, in the footsteps of Emma's late father who never returned from an academic trip to the same area. As they live in Tibet, they are caught up in the Chinese invasion and depend upon their friend Dorje and his family to survive. It really is a compelling read - and the intertwined families are fascinating. I want the movie to come out so that I can see it all in the true setting.

I was amazed and impressed by this remarkable book. I've read about Tibet before, but always felt like an outsider looking into a fascinating and imperiled world. Falling to Heaven allowed me to briefly enter the rich and colorful world of Tibetan life both as a Quaker visitor and as a Tibetan. The scope of the book included much cultural information. some history, lush descriptions and strong characters, and brought the history to life. I found myself caring deeply about the characters, both the heroes and the villains, and seeing the tragic situation in Tibet in a fresh way. The writing is exquisite, original, finely detailed and delicate. The storytelling is so strong. I had to stop so many times throughout reading just to admire the images and imagination. Truly beautiful, heartfelt and evocative. It was a pleasure to read.

In the upheaval following the 1954 Chinese takeover, two young Americans who are living in Tibet experience a devastating series of events. Their strong ties to the Tibetan people lead to the imprisonment of one of the Americans and an escape over the mountains for the other. Their original belief that there is God in everyone is sorely tested as the political oppression worsens. This is a `don't put it down' book with adventure on every page. A wonderful look into the peaceful Tibetan life and the strengths that are found as their world completely changes.

I was completely blown away by this book. A young couple set out to follow their dream of a life in Tibet, but this is 1954 when the Chinese troops were being sent to `re-educate' the Tibetans. Jeanne Peterson has written a truly memorable story of discovery, contentment and courage in the face of the most terrible adversity on the one hand and the courage and cowardice of officials on the other. A story of displacement, repression and death as well as joyous reunion.