Reviews of Last Seen in Lhasa by Claire Scobie, writer & journalist

Reviews of Last Seen in Lhasa

‘A terrific book… a story of courage’
- The Age. Read the full review online here or in PDF here .

‘Absorbing and rewarding… written in stylish, elegant prose’
- The Observer. Read the full review here or in PDF here.

‘A wonderful book: warm and sincere about this extraordinary friendship, alive and honest about the changes being wrought in Tibet…(It) stayed with me for weeks’
- The Australian. Read the full review in PDF here.

‘A love letter to friendship’

- Sydney Morning Herald. Read the full review online here or in PDF here.

‘Rich, profound and deeply moving… gripping’ ****

- Time Out. Read the full review in PDF here.

‘Required reading…. laced with gentle humour and great affection’

- Sunday Telegraph, July 06.

‘Scobie has a great eye for detail and crafts highly visual and atmospheric passages. I was captivated by this beautiful, meditative exploration of pilgrimage, of friendship, of hardship and of faith’

– The Echo, July 06. Read the full review in PDF here.

‘In a country of contrast and paradox, journalist Claire Scobie forged an unlikely but deeply influential friendship with a Tibetan nun. When Claire left her London home for the Himalayas in search of a rare flower she travelled to Pemako, an area relatively undisturbed by foreigners. Here she met the resourceful Ani, who’d escaped the prospect of an arranged marriage and become an itinerant nun, and the women quickly formed an intuitive bond that transcended their cultural differences. With a keen eye Claire chronicles the many faces of a rapidly changing land, one both steeped in ancient religion and embracing modernity with singular fervour.’
- The Good Book Guide, July 06.

‘Scobie uses her journalistic skills to research and write movingly about its botany, Buddhism, Chinese invasion, subsequent marginalisation and grief of Tibetans, Lhasa's modern consumerism, the beauty of Tibet's hidden valleys, her own search for enlightenment - and most importantly, friiendship with an itinerant Buddhist nun.’

- Good Reading Magazine ****, Sept 06. Read full review in PDF here.

'This wonderful book is about Tibet today, and its dying culture, and also the beautiful and enduring friendship of two women.'

- Nova, Oct 06. Read the full review in PDF here.

‘Anybody who's ever been interested in the 'lost world' of Tibet will be fascinated by this account of Claire Scobie's love affair with the country and her intriguing relationship with Buddhist nun Ani.'

- Shropshire Times ****, Dec 06. Read full review in PDF here.

‘Scobie explores the changing landscape of this ancient Himalayan realm with considerable sensitivity and wit. At the heart of the story is a compelling examination of materialism and the transformative power of friendship.’

- Destinasian Magazine, Oct 06.

‘A valuable book for those hungry for information about Tibet, a remarkable friendship and an extraordinary adventure by the first English woman to travel to the Pemako region.’
- Paperback Preview, July 07

‘There has been a glut of books about women on a voyage of inner discovery in a foreign land in recent years. But this one has real substance. Scobie has written a touching account of her friendship with Ani, a nomadic nun in Tibet. The pair meet on a hunt for a rare red lily, then are drawn together over the years, eventually making a pilgrimage to the sacred Mount Kailash. This is not just a story of sisterhood but also a rigorously researched account of a dying spiritual tradition. Scobie also details the Tibetan struggle for freedom with the clear-eyed perception of an insider. This will appeal to the mind and the heart.’

- Sun-Herald, Aug 06

- Tapei Times, Feb 08. Read the full review in PDF here.