Zanskar is a small dependency of about 10,000 people in a remote high-mountain valley area on the eastern side of the Indian state of Kashmir. Its peoples are mostly followers of Tibetan Buddhism. Isolated by high mountains, until recently it had little contact with the outside world. F?llmi is a French photographer who became attracted to the area in the 1980s and over the years has made several visits there to photograph and write about it. The book is primarily visual, with his striking photographs and some traditional border decorations by Rapkar Wangchuk; the limited text focuses on F?llmi's travels and sponsorship of two children for education abroad. While he introduces the conflicts the outside world is bringing to Zanskar, he doesn't probe deeply into them. Still, this is a beautiful book on a little-known area and a rapidly changing way of life. Recommended for larger and better-funded public libraries with strong interests in the Indian subcontinent.

About the Author
Danielle and Olivier Follmi are the founders of HOPE (Himalayan Organization for People and Education), which supports educational projects in the Himalayas. Olivier Follmi published an earlier collection of photographs of the region, entitled Zanskar (1989).