In the Circle of White Stones

"Tan's curiosity about pastoral culture and language is obvious in her reported observations and experiences. . . . The author's use of detail could not have been imagined, but only have come from lived experience. . . . I thoroughly enjoyed reading In the Circle of White Stones and its depiction of the reality of a Tibetan herding way of life."

~Konchok Gelek, Asian Highlands Perspectives

"This charming book chronicles daily life among nomadic pastoralists in eastern Tibet, in China’s Sichuan Province. . . . Tan describes pastoralist life from the perspective of the women who inhabit one of the Tibetans’ tents, with whom she built up close relations. . . . [and] provides valuable insight into a threatened way of life."

~Journal of Asian Studies