Book Jacket

 

rank 4168
word count 17061
date submitted 23.04.2009
date updated 23.04.2009
genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historic...
classification: moderate
incomplete

Leadville. 300 Days Away.

Kara Skye Smith

1958, at the top of the Rockies, the C.I.A. opened Camp Hale to train Tibetan Resistance fighters. This novel is a love story.

 

A fictional occurrence of non-fiction events, Leadville 300 Days Away, is the story of a Tibetan Resistance fighter who falls in love with a girl from his hometown of Litang just before the Chinese invade. Tenzing, narrowly escapes to Lhasa, not knowing if this girl whom he'd just met has survived, or even, if his younger brother, almost like a son to him, has made it out alive. Turns out, both do manage to escape alive. Tenzing meets up with his brother immediately in Lhasa and is transported to a training camp near Leadville, Colorado, where he learns to fight and shoot American guns under the training of the C.I.A.. He is not reunited with Matseidha, however, the girl fell in love with, until much later, in Darjeeling, India, after a mass exodus from Lhasa. Tenzing had been a part of seeing His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, through the mountains to safety and exhile. Leadville is a compelling love story, a historical fiction, many interesting dets. of the harrowing events that actually took place between Tibet and the small CIA camp in Leadville between 1958 and 1972.

 
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tags

buddist, cia, colorado, darjeeling, fiction, history, india, invasion of tibet, josh, kara, leadville, love story, nixon, nonfiction, the dalai lama, ...

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6 comments

 

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Malve wrote 106 days ago

This is very intriguing. I read the beginning and liked it a lot. The combination Tibet and CIA is appealing, both "dark horses" for many people. I am interested in how you will develop Chapter 9 and thereafter. Good luck, Malve
If you have time, please take a look at Falconello.

Kenneth Edward Lim wrote 447 days ago

Kara,
"Leadville, 300 Days Away" intrigued me right from the start. The romantic tension between Tenzing and Matseidha superimposed over CIA antics from Colorado to the Himalayas worked for me mainly because of the picturesque prose and pithy dialogue. I've shelved and rated your book and put it on my watchlist. Thank you for your effort. I'm looking forward to reading more of it.

Kenneth Edward Lim
The North Korean

GAClark wrote 470 days ago

I went looking for historical fiction which is more or less my genre and I came across your book. You have a gift for matching the proper rhythm to the dialect. I will read more and will place it on my bookshelf. Being from Colorado and very familiar with Leadville, (My book "The Blood Runs Gold" opens in this area) I am very curious of how you tie the opening chapter to the region.
G Allen Clark
Show Low
The Blood Runs Gold

Elaina wrote 1118 days ago

Kara, this has potential. You have a great premise and well-developed characters. But I feel chapter 1 is too general, have a feeling you should get more specific in order to draw readers on and into chapter 2...and onward! Also, and this may be personal taste, I think this could benefit from riting in the 3rd person.

However, as this is well written, I'm placing you on my revolving shelf. Remember to follow your instincts - if you like it the way it is, then keep it....man, this is a craft of self-doubt!!!!!

All the best
Elaina
Gathering of Rain

LastKnight wrote 1122 days ago

Well wrote. I like how you had different types of people in this and I like the attention you gave 'honor' without over playing it. You also left a lot of unanswered questions that I'll have to continue reading if I want to find the answers. The personalities also seem pretty strong.
The only thing I can see right now that could help this story (or what I would like) is a little more description in the restaurant because you gave me the stainless steel counter and where Tenzing is cooking and that there's a side entrance. Description of Tenzing and his wife wouldn't be bad, and the american. All we got from him really was wearing sungalsses. But those are what I thought, keep up the good writing and I'll be reading more here when I can.

m clement hall wrote 1125 days ago

LEADVILLE (Kara Skye Smith)
So far there are 17K words in 9 chapters downloaded. The "pitch" tells us this is historical fiction around an actual event involving CIA and Tibetan refugees. The author does not describe whether she has "platform."
The subject matter is intriguing, CIA always attracts attention, and most persons have sympathy for refugees in particular those from Tibet.
We have yet to find how the story will unfold but it is pleasntly told with believable characterisation. Dialogue could be a little tighter perhaps.
Backed, and will follow with interest.
mch

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