Born in Lhasa

Born in Lhasa weaves a rich tapestry of Tibetan life in the twentieth century -- of a life lost and a life reclaimed. Raised in an aristocratic family in Tibet, married to a brother of the Dalai Lama, Namgyal Lhamo Taklha experienced the old Tibet -- and then saw it all slip away, only to participate in its restoration and revitalization in exile.

In this evocative and stirring narrative, the author recreates life in Tibet before the Chinese invasion -- both in private households and in public places. She describes her education in India and also under the Chinese in Tibet. She recounts her life in Europe overseeing the various Tibetan resettlement projects, her relocation to the United States, and her emotional return to India, where she eventually served in the Cabinet of the Government-in-Exile. She concludes with an account of the making of the film Kundun while acting as one of its artistic consultants.

Namgyal Lhamo Taklha is the granddaughter of D.D. Tsarong, Commander General of Tibet and one of the chief forces for modernization in old Tibet