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In the closed society of turn-of-the-century Tibet, the outside world is a threatening place. But not to Thunder. Ever rebellious, he longs to become a trader and visit faraway places. But when he has forbidden contact with a foreign explorer, Thunder is banished from his village. He is forced to join a monastery to lead a quiet life of study and meditation under the tutelage of his uncle, a high-ranking monk. At the monastery, though, life is anything but quiet. Thunder has to stand up to Zang-po, his uncle's resentful servant, and--even worse--defend himself against Pounder, the menacing soldier who endangers his life. Will he find peace at the monastery, or will he rebel against the life set out for him? Readers will come to care about Thunder as they turn the pages of this fast-paced, engrossing story set in a truly captivating time and place.