Review Detail

Tsultrim Dolma was born in eastern Tibet. As a young girl, she was denied an education. This didn't stop her, though. In this amazing true story, Tsultrim's persistence and courage drive her to become a Buddhist nun, and later she stands up to the cruelty of the Chinese occupation, during which she ends up in prison. Through it all, she pushes forward, even when her life is threatened.

What worked: Powerful true story of a Buddhist nun standing up to the Chinese occupation in Tibet.

Tsultrim is a young teen when she enters a Buddhist monastery. While there, she witnesses the cruel occupation of her country. Not only is her religion targeted, but so are any rights she has. At one rally, she finds herself shouting out, "Free Tibet". Those words have her end up in the Gutsa Detention Center. While there with other young nuns, she is beaten and tortured. The scenes in the prison are very intense and horrific. But that doesn't stop Tsultrim from continuing to speak out against the injustices to her people.

Readers see Tsultrim's life as a child in a small village and how she refuses to follow the path that is expected of her. Her passion for learning leads her to travel to the city of Lhasa, where she becomes a nun.

Tsultrim's story is one that needs to be told. It's a story of persistence, faith, and mostly courage. This story isn't sugar-coated, but unflinching in its honest portrayal of a teen who fights back. Along her path, she encounters those who are kind and also those who try to take advantage of those in need. This is a great book to add to those on resistance fighters.

Warning: The prison scenes show not only torture but also a graphic scene of sexual torture.