We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies

By: Tsering Yangzom Lama

Narrated by: Asha Vijayasingham, Shridhar Solanki, Rishma Malik Scott

Length: 15 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Bloomsbury presents We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama, read by Asha Vijayasingham, Shridhar Solanki and Rishma Malik Scott.

For listeners of Homegoing and The Leavers, a compelling and profound debut novel about a Tibetan family's journey through exile.

In the wake of China’s invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo—haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle—tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint—a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need.

Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo’s daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector’s vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams.

Breathtaking in its scope and powerful in its intimacy, We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies is a gorgeously written meditation on colonization, displacement and the lengths we’ll go to remain connected to our families and ancestral lands. Told through the lives of four people over 50 years, this novel provides a nuanced, moving portrait of the little-known world of Tibetan exiles.

©2022 Tsering Yangzom Lama (P)2022 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

"Tsering Lama’s wise and devastating debut implores readers to consider what it means to live in exile, what it feels like to never belong. Through the heartbreaking yet hopeful story of one Tibetan family’s struggle to survive and their yearning for liberation, she delivers a stirring love letter to a country and culture. We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies captured my heart and mind. A must-read and a marvel." (Jessamine Chan, New York Times best-selling author of The School for Good Mothers)

"A true polished gem of a novel, every sentence is a revelation. Built out of both myth and history, Tsering Lama's first novel marks the debut of a stunning new voice." (Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story and Our Country Friends)

Rare and beautiful story and culture

A precious account of the interwoven stories of three generations of a strong and resilient Tibetan family lineage (most focused on a grandmother, mother, and daughter) forced to flee from their sacred home country through the years to contemporary issues, faced by refugees in today’s times, while also allowing a rare and beautiful glimpse into ancient wisdom of Tibetan, culture and spirituality.

Beautifully written, moving story

Beautifully written, moving story tying together generations of impact of cultural exile and genacide. I appreciated the mystical side as well.

Compelling

Every line left me with more to think about. Every piece of the story opened a door to more questions about how society thinks about community and knowledge. This novel brings reflection.

Great story, poor performance

This is a moving story that could almost be nonfiction for its stark portrayal of Tibetan exile experiences. Unfortunately, the performers cannot pronounce Tibetan, Nepali or even Indian personal and place names, which takes the listener out of the immersion of a first person narrative. I get the impression the publisher tried to account for this problem through hiring readers with South Asian backgrounds, and yet they cannot pronounce common words like Pokhara, Gurung, Tseten, Ngawang, etc. The story gives the impression that it is rare for a Tibetan to move to Canada, when in fact it is quite common. There are more people from Mustang living in New York and Toronto than in Mustang. The Pokhara refugee camps are nearly empty as almost all inhabitants have migrated to India or further, especially France. It would have been easy for the publisher to hire Tibetans who could pronounce the words properly. Likely the author has many friends who could have helped.

I m from kagbeni,mustang

I really enjoyed listening audio book thoroughly. Very much connected beginning to end. Kudos!!! Can’t wait read or listen nxt book.