Tibetan Nomad

When Norzom Lala was two years old, her father fled their family tent in Tibet’s mountains after a yak trading deal turned sour. Along with her six siblings, Norzom was then raised by her mother, a nomadic pastoralist who taught her children to integrate themselves with nature. Several dramatic circumstances forced Norzom from her Tibetan home to a Chinese boarding school, and finally to the shores of America to live with her estranged father. As Norzom navigated jobs, school, relationships and a dying sister back home, she lost herself to the vices of a strange land.
It was only when Norzom released herself back to the wonders of nature (and, indeed, a therapist) that she ultimately learned what was worth sacrificing in her quest for survival. This memoir chronicles Norzom’s experiences navigating tragedies, culture shocks and her own relationship with nature, all the while honoring the traditions and legacy of the Tibetan nomad.

Norzom Lala is a refugee from Tibet who now lives in Portland, Oregon. She was an international Dalai Lama scholar and received a master’s in social work and social policy, and is most interested in studying and understanding human nature.

Norzom Lala
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 198
Bibliographic Info: index
Copyright Date: 2023
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9091-9
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4834-7
Imprint: McFarland

Preface 1
1. Rainstorm in the Mountains (1989–1994) 3
2. Crows Cawing (1959) 9
3. Grandma Dawa (1991) 13
4. Repairing Old Shoes (1994) 16
5. Changing of the Seasons (1992) 21
6. Mountain Transportation (1992) 25
7. Women of the Household (1993) 30
8. Processing Yak Meat After Scavengers (1993) 34
9. Candy (1994) 38
10. Grandmother Chime’s Departure (1995) 43
11. Refusing to Eat Grapes (1996) 46
12. Word from Dad (1998) 53
13. My Red Dog (1988–1999) 59
14. Fear of Forgetting Who We Are (1958–1965) 63
15. A Little Nomad Girl with Tangled Hair (1994) 68
16. River of Blood (1994–1998) 71
17. The Principal’s Yellow Hat (1995) 75
18. Her Love of High Heels (1997) 79
19. Removing Tibetan Textbooks (1997) 83
20. The Jacket Broom (1998) 88
21. A Special Visitor at School (1998) 93
22. Crossing the Himalayas on Foot (1999) 95
23. Freedom (2000) 101
24. Reflection of the Dalai Lama on the Moon (2000) 105
25. Meeting Father Again (2001) 109
26. The Nomad Family (2001) 114
27. Shoe Shining (2002) 120
28. Dawa (2002) 123
29. Dechen Tso (2002) 128
30. Thinking About America (2003) 132
31. Sewing Garters (2005) 135
32. California Sun (2005) 139
33. First Job (2006) 143
34. Portland Rain (2007) 147
35. No More Wildflowers on the Tibetan Plateau (2013) 150
36. Hope from the Darkness (2014) 155
37. Go Back to Your Country (2014) 159
38. Nomad Resettlement (2015) 162
39. Tears of Love (2015) 166
40. Acceptance (2016) 169
41. Solar Eclipse (2017) 174
42. Friendship (2017) 179
43. Nature (2017) 183
Index 189