Book Review - Kyetse


 Kyetse is one of Chador Wangmo’s mind-boggling novels. She is one of the few fulltime Bhutanese writers. She was a teacher but surrendered her career to her passion- writing. Today she is a mother of two kids and runs Miza Books, a bookstore for writers and readers to come together. Chador Wangmo is from an eastern hamlet in Tashigang. Her root is vividly curved in her novels portraying what really sharchops are. The novel was published by Miza Books in 2016. The book takes you to the heart of Brekha, a small hamlet in Tashigang. Although the readers are taken out to Nepal, we are brought back to Bhutan and are taken to Paro to end the story. The author, a true daughter from the east has chosen the rustic, yet humble and pure easterners. The protagonist, Sonam Dema is an inquisitive girl of eight years old who, as the Kyetse prophesized, was sent to become a nun with an elderly nun who was a complete stranger to her. Sonam Dema and four other girls from Bhutan are taken far away from their loved ones only to be tortured and sold as prostitutes. Luck favored SonamDema, when she was to escort the Anim back to Bhutan. That is when she decides to run away back to Tashigang with a businessman with whose family she resides for two years. As destined by her kyetse, Sonam feels empty despite the business man’s family being a perfect host for her. She decides to change her path- to become a nun. With her mother’s death a long time back, her grandparents and the father takes into her wish and enrolls her in a monastery as a nun. Everything seems to be fine until a handsome man visits the Goenpa and offers to build a toilet for the anims. She falls

in love with him but breaks her heart when the lama of goenpa congratulates the man on his marriage with another girl. Sonam was eighteen then. As predicted in her kyetse, she faces the biggest hurdle of her life, to overcome her broken heart. As Sonam was healing her broken heart, she is yet trembled by the news on the TV. The so called anim who took her and friends to Nepal was wanted by the police in connection to human trafficking and vandalism of chortens. Her information about the anim helps the police to nab her and the partner. Sonam and her friend are rewarded by the police but they decide that monetary life is what they aren’t for. They donate the money to the goenpa and happily continue their spiritual journey.

 The novel portrays the vulnerability of young girls in Bhutan and more so with the rural kids. With increasing risk of human trafficking, the story is an alarm bell for all the readers and the policy makers. With Sonam Dema’s friends sold into prostitution and her best friend Penthang committing suicide, the issue of human trafficking is something not lightly to be taken. The novel is a true eastern product. The custom of superstition and beliefs are colorfully carved in the story. As one reads, you feel the warmth and love of a sharchop family as if you are one of the members. Even the names of the characters are humble sharchop tags which further cements you to the story if you are easterner. The novels concludes with the belief in spiritual journey Sonam Dema takes. With the world overshadowed by materialistic wave, the novel serves a fresh breath for humanity. It reminds us that spiritualism is the ultimate goal one must aspire.

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