Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet (ISBN 1400095646)

Outrageous apologia for genocide:
An apologia for 50 years of genocide in Tibet by the Chinese, disguised as an "epic love story". Insulting to anyone who has been involved in trying to stop the genocide of the Tibetan people and culture.

Love Crosses all boundries:
This book is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's the story of Shu Wen a Chinese Dr. who goes on the most incredible journey trying to find her husband in Tibet who has been declared dead. What a love story! But not in the traditional sense. Shu Wen is separated from her Dr. husband of a short time when he is shipped off to Tibet while serving in the Chinese army during the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the late 50's. Shortly after, she gets word of his death and not believing that he is gone, she signs up with the army and gets shipped off to Tibet in hopes of finding him. The rest of the book is about her life and journey in Tibet for the next 30 years and the metamorphosis that happens as she slowly looses her identity as a Chinese woman and adopts a Tibetan way of life. It's an amazingly human and touching story. This book is such a tribute to the strength and courage of women and human beings in general, and it was beautifully written by author Xinran Xue, who brings this true story to life in a vivid, colorful, and real way. What impressed me the most about this book was that Shu Wen's story reminds us that no matter who is caught up in war and world changing events, we are all human and feel the same things: love, hate, fear, compassion, pain..., and that these emotions cross all cultures, races, and boundaries. This story brings home that we can get past our fears, ideologies, and prejudices and treat each other with love and respect if we are willing to be open.

An epic story indeed -- love, spirituality, truth:
A deeply moving story of love and spirituality. Beautiful, intense, heart wrenching -- and made all the more so as it is true. It brought me to tears. Not a story to be missed.

book club selection:
We chose this book as a book club selection. Although simply written, the story ignited conversations on cultural differences and how the knowledge of one's own freedom affects the decisions made in a lifetime. Some of our group members loved the story, others were confused by the seeming helplessness and futility of a life. Definately a story to spark an interest in Tibet.

Wonderful Story of Enduring Love:
This is the 3rd book by Xinran that I have read (on recommendation from one of my friends). She is a wonderful write and recounts the interviews of lives of Chinese women. This particular story is about enduring love of a Chinese woman who goes to Tibet to find her husband. Xinran tells the stories of the women with such empathy and with lovely detail of the area in which the story takes place.