Tibet Is My Country: Autobiography of Thubten Jigme Norbu, Brother of the Dalai Lama as Told to Heinrich Harrer

Of all the books I've read on Tibet (about 6), this stands out as the most personal account. Thubten Jigme Norbu, eldest brother of the Dalai Lama tells in tender detail about his childhood as the son of Tibetan peasants, his discovery as an incarnate lama, and his life in the Buddhist monasteries. It's interesting to read about this earlier perspective of the Dalai Lama's family members. Thubten Jigme Norbu learned of his brother's discovery as the Dalai Lama, and of his flight from Tibet to India from a distance. He mentions that because of the great differences in age, and the distance between their home and the monasteries where they were installed, the first time he and all his brothers ever sat down to dinner together was after the Chinese occupation. I really enjoyed reading about the little details of his early life, and the great amount of emotion in his story.

What came across in this story of Tibetan life before and after the Chinese occupation, is the sweet, gentle, and loving nature of the two authors. This is the story of a tragedy, but is not depressing. I've been recommending this book to friends because it is very uplifting and encouraging, besides being very readable. The Tibetans really had something in their culture that was of value, a pervading spirituality that was cheerful and peaceful. And yet, they didn't feel any need to convert others or force their religion on anyone. The authors of "Tibet is My Country" don't address the corruption in the Tibetan government or other problems, but those issues are realistically addressed by the Dalai Lama himself in "Freedom in Exile." This is a light charming nostalgic look at a lost way of life.