This book was one of my numerous Library Sale shelves finds. Set in Tuva, which is located in southern Siberia and shares a border with Mongolia, this book appears to be an autobographical novel about a Tuvan boy's early life. The writing is so clear I felt like I could see the landscape, the people, and the surroundings very clearly. The effect is cinematic, and I'm surprised no one has made a film of this book yet. It would be really beautiful at the same time as it showed the difficult way of life the main character and his family face as a nomadic people in the mid 20th century - the landscape is breathtaking and harsh at the same time. One thing I really liked is that the book doesn't follow some kind of western ideal for a "happy ending" nor does it sugarcoat things. Americans are known as people who demand a happy ending to our fictional stories; we cannot stand the idea that not everything turns out OK. It's refreshing to read a story that is not driven by a "breakneck plot + happy ending = $$$$" model - this one is content to tell a true, real story and to tell it well.
Evidently there are 2 sequels to this book, so if I can get my hands on them, I'll happily read them. Recommended.
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