The mountain path is the road of the dead, writes Thubron (Shadow of the Silk Road) in this engrossing and affecting travel memoir that transcends the mere physical journey. In the wake of his motherTMs death, Thubron sets off to Mount Kailas in Tibet, a peak sacred to one-fifth of the worldTMs population and the source of four of IndiaTMs great rivers. Kailas has never been climbed: the slopes are important to Tibetan Buddhists who say the mountainTMs guardian is Demchog (a tantric variant of Shiva). Along with two guides, Thubron embarks on a pilgrimage that begins in Nepal and crosses into Tibet, recounting not only his arduous journey but also the political and cultural history of Tibet and the WestTMs continued fascination with its mysticism. Along the way, he observes pilgrims of various religions converging on Kailas and the myriad monasteries, most of which were destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt decades later. It is the poignant evocations of his mother and sister (who died at 21), interwoven with his profound respect for the Tibetan culture and landscape that make ThubronTMs memoir an utterly moving read.