A worthy addition to the canon of running memoirs. An unprecedented journey across a singular spiritual landscape, enlivened by Robinson-Smith’s keen eye for detail, beautiful prose, and remarkable endurance. A travelogue that takes seriously its responsibility to its hosts. Thoughtful, mindful, compelling.

- Award Committee, Nonfiction Prize, New Brunswick Book Awards

"Robinson-Smith's account of the Tara-thon is lively, richly detailed and unvarnished... [The] imagination is caught by what Robinson-Smith reveals about the society itself, Bhutan's history, the wary insularity of its mountain fastness, the harsh demands of life there, the delightfully appealing economic measure known as Gross National Happiness, and the effects, good and bad, of increased contact with the modern world." Richard Cumyn, The Fiddlehead, November 2018

- Richard Cumyn, The Fiddlehead

"Travel writing in Canada is alive, well, and robustly athletic.... Robinson-Smith does a good job of juxtaposing Western perceptions, both historic and modern, with the challenges faced by the Bhutanese..." [Full review at http://canlit.ca/article/running-and-riding-away/]

- Zöe Landale, Canadian Literature

Tony Robinson-Smith, his wife Nadya, and ten Bhutanese college students set out to run 578 kilometres (360 miles) across the Kingdom of Bhutan in the Himalayas. Joined by a stray dog, they slogged over five mountain passes, bathed in ice-clogged streams, ate over log fires, and stopped at every store, restaurant, guesthouse, and dzong to raise money for the Tarayana Foundation. The “Tara-thon” was the first endeavour of its kind and gave 350 village children the chance to go to school. En route, the Long Distance Dozen met a Buddhist lama, a royal prince, a Tibetan renegade, and a matriarch who told them the secret to long life. On arrival in Thimphu, they were decorated by Her Majesty the Queen. In this contemplative memoir, Tony describes Bhutan in rich detail at a transformative period in its history and reflects on tradition, belief, modernization, and happiness. See the book trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-VsWAbTHAQ
Les mer
From the remote Kingdom of Bhutan, a memoir about running, teaching, and what really matters.
Map 1 Lama’s Blessing 2 Precious Teacher 3 “Long Distance Dozen” 4 Birth of an Idea 5 Royal Sanction 6 The Longest Climb 7 Clowns and Phalluses 8 Death of a Runner 9 Shabdrung Sheep 10 Yalama! 11 Cure for Our Sufferings 12 Bumpy Road to Wangdi 13 Tea with Her Majesty Epilogue Acknowledgements Notes Glossary
Les mer
A worthy addition to the canon of running memoirs. An unprecedented journey across a singular spiritual landscape, enlivened by Robinson-Smith’s keen eye for detail, beautiful prose, and remarkable endurance. A travelogue that takes seriously its responsibility to its hosts. Thoughtful, mindful, compelling.
Les mer
15 B&W photographs, 8 drawings, 1 map, glossary

Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781772123005
Publisert
2017-08-09
Utgiver
Vendor
University of Alberta Press
Vekt
375 gr
Høyde
229 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
16 mm
Aldersnivå
01, G, 01
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Heftet
Antall sider
256

Biographical note

British by origin, Canadian by marriage, Tony Robinson-Smith chronicled his adventures circling the earth without using aircraft in Back in 6 Years (Goose Lane Editions). Tony now teaches and runs in Fredericton, New Brunswick.