In Memory of Sermo and Pepper Plant

Lindsay Hasluck's Review 

A rare diamond of a book. This uplifting memoir is the unique story of Tempa Gyeltshen’s personal striving to gain an education in 1990s Bhutan. Under the King of Bhutan’s modernisation plans, a young boy struggles to be able to afford an education in the mountains of his country. Against all odds but equipped with a dream to be part of the King’s administration, an iron will, and the ability to innovate, our hero slowly advances to studying journalism in India. The family makes great sacrifices to give him an education, as it represents their only way out of the grinding intergenerational poverty. By selling chillies, making shoes from garbage, and many other income-creating ideas, this battle against the oppressive reality of a developing nation offers a truly remarkable story.

Translated from Bhutanese, where it has been a top seller, the crisp style of writing devoid of self-pity and misery introduces the reader to the spiritual wisdom, culture and community values of old Bhutan, the marvellous mountain-scapes and wild ecology, inhabited by a range of colourful characters. This book should be mandatory reading for adults and children alike to show them the real value of education, and how much it matters to those for whom it is a luxury. It should also be on every high school reading list. I have put it on my shelf alongside timeless classics about courage and perseverance, such as Diary of Anne Frank and Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning.

Signed copies available in store.

Publisher's Review 

In Memory of Sermo and Pepper Plant, the Memoir of a Shingkhar Lauripa beautifully captures a village boy’s long journey to Thimphu. It is both a physical and metaphorical journey characterized by grit, determination, and resilience in the face of pervasive poverty, tragedy, and tribulations. The author and protagonist successfully complete the long and arduous educational journey, emerging as the first person in four generations from his family to earn a university degree – a remarkable achievement that extends beyond individual triumph to encompass the pride of his family and village. At times heartbreaking, at times uplifting, and at times illuminating, this memoir is more than the story of a person. It is the story of a family, a village, and a country. And an integral part of the story is a faithful horse, Sermo, and a pepper plant. Tempa Gyeltshen tells his story poignantly and evocatively. It will appeal to anyone capable of feeling.