Thomas Henry Pope

They say ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ That would be a mistake in this case. The story deserves the beautiful cover.

Zhampo, 48 years old, lives in rural Vermont. The world has undergone what has become called, The Unraveling. Without functioning government power grids no longer function. Life is lived in a state of survival. 96 years earlier a Buddhist monk had left his monastery in the mountains of Tibet, escaping from the beginning of the upheavals to come, and carrying with him objects which will bring order back to the world when they are returned to Tibet. One aspect of The Unraveling was that the government rounded up ‘non-Christians’. Zampo’s parents had hidden the monk in a cave on their property while h he lived. After Zampo’s parents have died, he eventually visited the cave where the monk had been hidden and finds the objects and a letter from the monk instructing him to return the objects to the monks on the Naked Red Lady Mountain in Tibet, so the darkness brought by the Unraveling can end. Zhampo sets out, on foot, with three companions. The journey is long and difficult. Some of his companions are left behind, others join his journey. Same people he encounters are good, some are evil, some are helpful, some are dangerous. In Tibet, Zhampo learns the true magic of what he has brought with him.

The story has physical trials, danger, love, courage, and deep lessons of life.… (mer)