Tibet: A Writer's Journal

By Mary Elizabeth Gillilan

Since the age of sixteen, Emmy Lasater has wanted to make a pilgrimage to the western frontier of Tibet to see Mount Kailash. Buddhists, Hindus, and the Bon people before them have traveled the route around this sacred mountain where it is said that one sojourn around Mount Kailash cleans the slate of a lifetime of sins.

The mystical aspect of a pilgrimage has always intrigued Emmy. But now, in her middle years, with the chance finally before her, she has serious doubts. She is past the age of fifty, one leg doesn't work quite right, she has trouble with one arm, and is afraid of heights. The question remains: why attempt such a feat? As Emmy embarks on her journey, the answer eventually becomes clear. She is divorced, her children are grown, and sometimes, her shadow frightens her-but she is stronger than she thinks.

As a writing group instructor, Emmy listens to writers tell their stories, but it is only on this trip that her own story emerges in bits and pieces. The longer she is in Tibet, the more she realizes how much she loves the country. This simple realization propels her to connect her feet to her soul, and when that connection is firmed, Emmy flies through the scarier places, finally discovering the pathway to her soul.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0595411088
• ISBN13: 9780595411085
• Release Date: March 2007
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Tibet A writer's journal

Mary Elizabeth Gillilan took me through the "Breach" and into the magic of Tibet and I could imagine myself Emmy with my own limitations. Her talks with God were pure inspiration all the while Emmy stayed as human as anyone of us with our feet on the ground and wishing to fly. I enjoyed this book very much. Thank you for your perserverenc--of spirit and craft.

Fiction or Not

I found this book hard to put down as I traveled with the writer through a challenging journey of self discovery in a time and place I can only dream of. Although a work of fiction, I frequently felt as if it were more than that. I gained great inspiration from the writer's journey and struggles as she traveled to Tibet while weaving in her past in an artful manner. With a bit more editing this would have been a 5 star review. A great first novel by Ms Gillilan and I am looking forward to seeing her name on another in the near future.