Yak Girl

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This unusual memoir immerses us in the fascinating story of a spirited girl in a remote, undeveloped region of Nepal near the border of Tibet, a place made known to the world in Peter Matthiesens The Snow Leopard. Life above 13,000 feet in Upper Dolpooften called the last paradise because of its breathtaking snow-capped peaks, untouched beauty, and hand-irrigated green pastureswas one of constant risk and harsh survival. Dorjes life centered around the care of her numerous younger brothers and sisters and the familys sheep, goats, and yaks. At age five she began herding and was soon taking the animals high in the mountains, where she fought off predatory wolves and snow leopards. Covering her first ten years, the story takes Dorje from her primitive mountain village to the bewildering city of Kathmandu, and finally to a new home in America, where she receives life-saving surgery. With humor, soul, and insightful detail, the author gives us vividly told vignettes of daily life and the practice of centuries-old Tibetan traditions. This wonderful and surprising tale of survival, loss, and self-reflection offers us entry to this difficult, yet magical, place.