Why read We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies?

Book cover of We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies

Book description

For readers of Homegoing and The Leavers, a compelling and profound debut novel about a Tibetan family's journey through exile.

International Bestseller
Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
Shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize

In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and…

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Why read it?

1 author picked We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Chris Benjamin

Author

I was blown away by this debut novel and the skill of its writer. It covered multiple perspectives, times, and locations, giving layered and deep insights into the Chinese invasion and annexation of Tibet, and its effects on Tibetans forced to become refugees, first in Nepal then in Canada.

A small clay statue, or ku, plays a central role endowed with profound meaning about cultural belonging, ownership, and appropriation. Through the varied interpretations of its form and facial expressions, it is both a character itself and a symbol of what other characters experience.
I found this to be a…

From Chris' 3 favorite reads in 2023.