Dust Settles

A powerful Kham Tibetan chieftain, after drinking, fathers a foolish son with his Han Chinese wife. Everyone is convinced the boy is an idiot, and he seems out of step with reality, yet he possesses preternatural foresight and behavior. He becomes a witness to the rise and fall of the chieftain system. The novel tells a vivid, winding, and moving story, using passionate prose and a detached perspective to portray the rich ethnic customs and romantic mystique of the chieftain system.