She Still Lives

She Still Lives by Bill Magee (Snowlion Publications, 2006).
When I came upon this in a bookstore, described as a love story set in a future Tibet, featuring a female Dalai Lama, I couldn't wait to read it. At first I felt frustrated since I had a desire to learn the particulars that led to the 17th Dalai Lama's discovery, as well details about the world in the year 2114. In fact, the book tells the story of the Dalai Lama's adviser Mila Lakpa who was just released from years of prison after being sentenced for his role in the Tibetan freedom movement. At the time of his release, the Dalai Lama is still imprisoned and she is not prominently featured as a character in the book. The fact that the Dalai Lama is female is not commented on at all - it is just a fact.
A hundred years into the future, it is clear that Tibetans are still an oppressed minority in China, and the Communist regime still exists. The lives of the Tibetans are still rather simple and primitive -there is very little given in the way of context of the world in 2114. A few hints are given: global warming obviously had an impact as snow is described as a rarity in the Himalayas, and there is mention of genetically modified mine-sniffing dogs and clones. However, these details are not developed and I found I had to let go of my expectation of getting a fuller picture of the world at that time. For the most part, the world and the Tibetan situation in particular, seemed little changed.
Magee is a Buddhist scholar, so the narrative is informed by Buddhist ideas and practices.
Particularly interesting was Mila's growing ability to share his consciousness with other beings, human and animal. This is carried into the final part of the book which leads back to the imprisoned Dalai Lama. Another theme of the book is the power of non-violence and love in the face of oppression.
This is a short, suspenseful and quick read, that really grew on me. The characters of Mila and his love Drolma, were quite well drawn. I plan to re-read it, without that expectation that I came with in the first place. - Linda

Talk Talk

Talk Talk by T.C. Boyle. I've always been drawn to Boyle's novels - they are literary and intelligent, but still plot-driven and entertaining. I picked up his latest and found myself immediately pulled into the plot which involved a deaf woman (Dana) who becomes the victim of identity theft and then becomes obsessed with finding the thief after being let down by the justice system. On one level it reads like a suspense novel, and the description of the crime of identity theft and the criminal justice system itself is disturbing. But most compelling was the depiction of being deaf and trying to communicate in a hearing world. That really felt real to me. The plot follows Dana and her hearing boyfriend as they track the criminal clear across the country from California to the Hudson valley in NY state, familiar Boyle territory. The villain is another vividly drawn character - a former restaurant owner who fell on hard times, he is a materialistic sociopath with an anger-management problem. He learns the basics of identity theft while serving time in prison for assault, and pursues this crime to maintain a materialistic lifestyle full of fancy possessions. These things become his entire identity which he will do anything to protect, with total disdain and disregard for anyone else. The whole book played with ideas of personal identity and what they mean, but I felt somehow let down and confused by the ending - not sure what conclusion to draw. - Linda