Snake Lake

By Jeff Greenwald

Book Overview

Moving between Nepal and America, this blend of memoir and journalism reminds us that "family and home can be every bit as mysterious as a foreign land" (Booklist).

In a circular valley beneath the looming peaks of the Himalaya lies Kathmandu, Nepal. It's a city of shimmering prayer flags, sacred cows, lavish festivals, and violent political turbulence--and a world that journalist Jeff Greenwald has come to call home. Snake Lake unfolds during 1990's dramatic "people power" uprising against Nepal's long-entrenched monarchy. The story follows Greenwald as he wins the friendship of a high lama who reveals the pillars of Tibetan Buddhism; embarks on a passionate romance with a spunky but curiously unlucky news photographer; and discovers what democracy means to rural Nepali citizens--all while covering the revolution for a major American newspaper.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, Greenwald's brilliant but troubled younger brother descends into a deepening depression. The author is forced to choose between witnessing Nepal's long-overdue revolution and reconnecting with an alienated sibling in desperate need of help.

Focused on the life-changing events that unfolded during one calamitous spring, Snake Lake weaves a vivid tapestry of Buddhism, revolution, and the often serpentine paths to personal liberation.

"Twin narratives--the author's introduction to Buddhism and his brother's suicide--form a compelling caduceus of deepening mystery . . . a brave, honest, vivid, and thoughtful book." --Mary Roach

"Funny, informative, sad . . . the best new travel narrative I've read in years." --Tim Cahill

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582436126
• ISBN13: 9781582436128
• Release Date: November 2010
• Publisher: Counterpoint LLC
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.3"