Reviewing the Yak Girl

This captivating memoir immerses readers in the extraordinary life of Dorje Dolma, a spirited girl from a remote and undeveloped region of Nepal near the Tibetan border, famously chronicled in Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard.

From a young age, Dorje’s life revolved around caring for her numerous younger siblings and the family’s sheep, goats, and yaks. Growing up above 13,000 feet in northern Dolpo, a place often called the last paradise for its stunning snow-capped peaks, untouched beauty, and hand-irrigated green pastures, Dorje’s existence was one of constant risk and harsh survival. In the 1980s, Dolpo had no running water, electricity, motor vehicles, phones, schools, or doctors—only local lamas trained in herbal medicine and prayer.

At just five years old, Dorje began herding and soon found herself taking the animals high into the mountains, where she bravely fought off predatory wolves and snow leopards. The memoir, covering her first ten years, traces Dorje’s journey from her primitive mountain village to the bewildering city of Kathmandu, and eventually to a new home in America, where she receives life-saving surgery.

The author, with humor, soul, and insightful detail, paints vivid vignettes of daily life and centuries-old Tibetan traditions. She describes the heartbreaking trials, natural splendors, and familial joys of growing up in this mysterious, faraway part of the world with its vanishing culture. The sharp increase in recent years of Western trekkers to the area, along with the introduction of modern communication and transportation, is causing rapid change in Dolpo.

This remarkable and surprising tale of survival, loss, and self-reflection offers a window into this challenging yet magical place. Above all, it is the inspiring story of an indomitable spirit conquering all obstacles—a tale of a girl with a disability growing into a dynamic woman in a new world.

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