A Soul in Bondage: Stories from Tibet

Tibetan writer Tahsi Dawa's mystical, imaginative short stories, evidence of an exciting new literary talent, make an important contribution to a profounder understanding of the Tibetan world. Early stories "Plateau Serenade" and "Over the River" are straight forward, delicate descriptions of Tibetan Society, whereas later works, employing the methods of "magical realism", show the influence of Latin-American writers such as Gabriel Garcia Marquez. "Invitation of a Century", "The Light on the Cliff" and "The Old Manor" deals with the psychological tensions aroused by the conflicting demands of a society in flux where old values and traditional culture are being challenged by the forces of modernization.