Chilling and memorable; a must-read.
A Tibetan refugee’s courageous tell-all memoir takes on Chinese occupation.
This passionate account of standing up against injustice traces Dolma’s journey from the Tibetan village where she grew up to the capital city of Lhasa, following her to Amherst, Massachusetts, by way of refugee camps in places including Kathmandu, Nepal, and Varanasi and Dharamsala in India. At age 12, Dolma’s father began speaking of marriage for her, but she didn’t want to stuff herself “into a life that was two sizes too small.” Focused on getting an education, she determined to become a Buddhist nun like her great-aunt; at a nunnery, she’d learn to read. This dream came true, leading Dolma to ask herself, “What good was an education if I didn’t use it?” For supporting the cause of a free Tibet, she was imprisoned and sexually assaulted by Chinese authorities. Debut co-authors Dolma and Hsieh recount the Chinese government’s violent crackdown on Buddhists’ religious freedom. The book also highlights misogyny in Tibet, where early marriage was framed as protective for girls. Dolma felt “the obvious solution was to teach boys” respectful behavior. Tragically, when she turned to a childhood friend for help, he attempted to rape her while she slept. Portraying Dolma as a fighter rather than a victim, this work shows the power of prayer and the kindness of strangers when facing horrifying circumstances. This powerfully and accessibly written story puts a human face on complex, ongoing issues.
Chilling and memorable; a must-read. (authors’ note) (Memoir. 14-18)Pub Date: March 10, 2026
ISBN: 9780593615959
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Dial Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today.
A beautifully heart-wrenching graphic-novel adaptation of actor and activist Takei’s (Lions and Tigers and Bears, 2013, etc.) childhood experience of incarceration in a World War II camp for Japanese Americans.
Takei had not yet started school when he, his parents, and his younger siblings were forced to leave their home and report to the Santa Anita Racetrack for “processing and removal” due to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066. The creators smoothly and cleverly embed the historical context within which Takei’s family’s story takes place, allowing readers to simultaneously experience the daily humiliations that they suffered in the camps while providing readers with a broader understanding of the federal legislation, lawsuits, and actions which led to and maintained this injustice. The heroes who fought against this and provided support to and within the Japanese American community, such as Fred Korematsu, the 442nd Regiment, Herbert Nicholson, and the ACLU’s Wayne Collins, are also highlighted, but the focus always remains on the many sacrifices that Takei’s parents made to ensure the safety and survival of their family while shielding their children from knowing the depths of the hatred they faced and danger they were in. The creators also highlight the dangerous parallels between the hate speech, stereotyping, and legislation used against Japanese Americans and the trajectory of current events. Delicate grayscale illustrations effectively convey the intense emotions and the stark living conditions.
A powerful reminder of a history that is all too timely today. (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)Pub Date: July 16, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-60309-450-4
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Top Shelf Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 4, 2019
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