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Daughter of the Mountains
Momo has always wanted a Lhasa terrier—a dog like the ones the Buddhist priests hold sacred in their temples. And her dream is realized when a trader brings Pempa to her parents' tea house. But after a band of robbers steals the valuable dog and quickly escapes with him into the mountains, Momo is determined to catch them and recover her beloved Pempa. To do so, she must follow the Great Trade Route across the mountains—a path that most people avoid, and which will surely put her life at risk. Momo undertakes a dangerous journey from the mountains of Tibet to the city of Calcutta, in search of her stolen dog Pempa.
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
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About the author
Louise S. Rankin
3 books3 followersLouise S. Rankin (born 1897) was the author of one book for children, "Daughter of the Mountains," which was a Newberry Medal nominee of 1949.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
March 2, 2023
This is one of my favorite childhood reads. I loved reading about another girl in a culture so very far away and so very different from my own, yet she had some of the very same qualities I possess and she made me feel so appreciative for the things I have. The descriptions of the little mountain village, the people, the food and the region in general were so vivid, I finished the book with a new understanding a place that had been very foreign to me before. I often remember this book with fondness and I have reread it several times. I would definitely recommend this to any young girl or any girl young at heart.
March 17, 2017
Cute book, but, there are some mistakes that bother me when I see them in historical fiction.
For instance, Momo sees the monkeys swinging by their tails from tree to tree. However, she is in India and Old World monkeys do not have prehensile tails. Additionally the book states that she takes tsampa beads with her and states that they are dried yak cheese. Tsampa is a roasted grain product. Churpi seems to be the most common name for dried yak cheese.
However, the book is pretty nicely paced and entertaining. I did enjoy reading it even with those discrepancies.
For instance, Momo sees the monkeys swinging by their tails from tree to tree. However, she is in India and Old World monkeys do not have prehensile tails. Additionally the book states that she takes tsampa beads with her and states that they are dried yak cheese. Tsampa is a roasted grain product. Churpi seems to be the most common name for dried yak cheese.
However, the book is pretty nicely paced and entertaining. I did enjoy reading it even with those discrepancies.
January 23, 2021
I'll give 5 stars to any book with a cute dog.
June 13, 2024
Wow, great book published in 1948. Maybe not the best book from a ‘dog’ book perspective, but a great book that left me with a good feeling for a long time. Funny how sometimes you have a book with a name or cover art you find not so inviting can hide an amazing story.
I don’t see a summary on Goodreads, but here is what Wikipedia says:
Daughter of the Mountains is a children's novel by Louise Rankin. It tells the story of Momo, a Tibetan girl who undertakes a long and difficult journey to save her little dog Pempai, a Lhasa Terrier from the wool trader who stole him. The novel, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, was first published in 1948 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1949.
I can definitely see why it was worthy of an award.
I will provide quotes from the book to use to talk about aspects that made me love the book. The book is about faith, courage, and persistence. It is bursting with glorious culture from a faraway place and time written by someone who has lived in the respective locations long enough to make it feel completely authentic. It is also a joyful looking at new things from complete innocence. The quotes are not isolated ‘best of’ quotes but just examples of how the whole book is wonderfully written.
When Momo is four year old she sees the dog the head Lama and then asks her family for one like she saw. She is told maybe her uncle can bring her one. When she is eight Momo asks about the dog. The next excerpt is also a good example of details of her faith:
‘“My uncle never comes,” Momo said to her mother. “Shall I never get a terrier from Lhasa?”
“Everything depends on the will of God,” her gentle mother replied. “Pray to Him. If the blessed Lord Buddha wishes, He will bring you one.”
So Momo began to pray. Every morning and evening she took up the round prayer wheel her father had got from the Red Hat priests of the monastery, and twirled it in one hand as she helped her mother to keep up the fire. Their prayer wheel was only a small copper cylinder on a wooden handle, but inside it was stuffed with a thousand prayers, written in bold black letters in the lamas’ careful hand, and blessed by the head lama himself. As she kept the wheel revolving, Momo thought with satisfaction, “Now not only the one prayer of my mouth, but all these thousand prayers reach the ear of the Lord Buddha at the same time.” She waited more patiently, believing that He would one day hear these prayers and answer them.’
Momo does get her dog, and she asks for an astrologer to help with the naming, The decision is made to give the dog the same (real or other) name for Momo which is Pempa. Pempa means Saturday, and was the day Momo was born, and also was the day of the week when they get the dog. The astrologer goes on to make a prediction:
‘It is indeed right,” Dawa told her, ‘‘that you two be given the same name. For, by the will of the Blessed One, you two will go through many adventures, and this dog will bring fortune to you all.”’
So Momo gets her dog and is happy. This next bit is a nice description of the dog:
‘His tail arched gaily over his back and waved like a beautiful plume. Long golden hair fell like a curtain over his face, hiding his eyes until they flashed out merrily when he tossed his head. He was, Momo knew, the most beautiful dog in the world, and as her father had said of the head lama’s terrier, like a prince among men.
He was as gentle as he was strong, and had fine manners. Before entering the house in winter he always stopped to shake the snow from his long, thick hair. He sat up and begged for his tsampa, and said thank you with a bark and a wave of his paw. He could stand on his hind legs and dance to the music of Nema’s fiddle. Day and night he was at Momo’s side, in the house or on the hills, and always lovingly obedient to her least command, a merry and adoring companion. He understood, naturally, all her words and even her thoughts, and Momo returned his love in full measure.’
The book has a lot of details and uses a fair amount of terms. I don’t remember tsampa being fully explained in the book, but from Wikipedia again:
Tsampa or Tsamba (Tibetan: རྩམ་པ་, Wylie: rtsam pa; Chinese: 糌粑; pinyin: zānbā) is a Tibetan and Himalayan staple foodstuff, it is also prominent in parts of northern Nepal. It is glutinous meal made from roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes also wheat flour and flour prepared from tree peony seeds. It is usually mixed with the Tibetan butter tea.
Speaking of tea, it is spoken of often in the book and people carry their tea bowl in their robe. I am a huge (green) tea fan, but unfortunately, I didn’t find a good quote I wanted to save. The tea they speak of is different though. Again, from Wikipedia, the butter tea is described as ‘Traditionally, it is made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt.’
So Momo has her dog and all is well, but of course:
‘For so long Pempa had been one of the family, and the days and seasons had rolled by as before, that Nema had at last forgotten Dawa’s promise of the adventure and fortune he was to bring. Then, when least expected, like the sudden flash and crackle of lightning in a mountain storm, adventure came.’
Momo’s dog is stolen and that starts a great journey to get the dog back. Of course, along the way, everyone tells her it is hopeless and she should turn back but Momo is persistent. What I liked was in addition to worries a normal young girl might have to fear, there was also supernatural fears. These are some descriptions of what she felt she was facing she learned from her father Nema:
‘But from her father Momo had learned some fear. To Nema the Lord Buddha was good, no doubt, but very far away, beyond all sight or knowing. And the powers of evil—these were very close and terrible to Nema. He spent his days battling against them. There were the vast mountains, goddesses of great power; the guardian country gods; the deities of place, who dwelt in rocks, trees, or springs—spiteful creatures who in ill temper love to vex mankind; the earth demons; the bold demons of the sky, and all the devils, and ghosts of the spIrits of the dead. Some of these spirits were kind to man, but Most were not.’
‘She felt that something, something, was here. It was all about her, and it was something very strange.
"Ai! Ail” she wailed. For now she remembered. This, the very earth under her, was the burial ground of the British soldiers who had fallen in that battle long ago with her own people. And of all the ghosts, these, the foreign dead, were the most evil. Black and malignant devils, they were never to be appeased but by the sacrifice of a pig. She shrieked in terror.’
There may have been terrors along the way, but also beautiful places, exotic places, and new and wonderous things like cars and trains. As Momo runs in pursuit of those who stole her dog, she pauses at times to take in all the new wonders. Here is one passage where she stops to notice the scenery:
‘And she leaped again down the mountain, and was soon far from the jangle of bells and the clatter of hoofs, deep in the stillness of the forest. This was a place of dim enchantment. Light, high mists had drifted over the sun, and mingled with the heavier mist of lacy moss that trailed from the upper branches. Now and then a ray of sunshine filtered through this silver mist, and fell at Momo’s feet like a broad arrow, leading her on and down. But no sounds—not even the cry of a bird, nor the rush of water—disturbed the quiet dreaming peace of this forest. Even the roadway here was not stone, but soft earth, over which her feet padded silently.’
Here is a bit on riding in a rickshaw for the first time:
‘She looked with pleasure at the blue cushioned seat and the hood to protect the rider from sun or rain. How very strange it felt merely to sit above those turning wheels, and bowl gently down the street! And to watch the trotting legs of the rickshaw man before her in the shafts! Since she had grown too big to be lifted astride her father’s shoulder or her mother’s hip, Momo had never been carried by anything but her own strong legs, She laughed aloud with pleasure at this strange sensation, and the coolie turning, grinned at her and called to her cheerfully, “Tsk bai, baccha!”’ (All right, little girl!)’
Along the way Momo meets good and bad people. What I found fun is the curses or insults they throw at each other. Here is a good example:
‘The hot blood rushed to Momo’s cheeks, and she got very angry. She stamped her foot at the boy, and shouted at him in Tibetan, “What rudeness! Only a pig and the son of a pig and the reborn soul of a pig would be so disobedient to the laws of politeness to the stranger!”’
There were places in the book where I cried over her predicament, but through everything she believed in her faith and the prophecy. She goes from Tibet all the way to India! Here she is faced with the impossible situation to get on a train to Calcutta:
“How shall I be taken on this te-rain, without money for a tikkut?” Momo asked herself, and the shadow of a doubt ruffled the smooth trust of her mind. But she quickly smoothed it out again, with the thought, “He who has given me Pempa, and who has protected me so far, will find a way.”
I know I have shared a lot from the book but there is so much more. As a dog book fan, there could be more told of the dog, but everything with Momo’s story was so wonderful and interesting that it is enough for me to want to make a category for non-dog book favorite books. It is one I would like to read again, and if I am ever blessed with grandchildren, would want to read to them.
I don’t see a summary on Goodreads, but here is what Wikipedia says:
Daughter of the Mountains is a children's novel by Louise Rankin. It tells the story of Momo, a Tibetan girl who undertakes a long and difficult journey to save her little dog Pempai, a Lhasa Terrier from the wool trader who stole him. The novel, illustrated by Kurt Wiese, was first published in 1948 and was a Newbery Honor recipient in 1949.
I can definitely see why it was worthy of an award.
I will provide quotes from the book to use to talk about aspects that made me love the book. The book is about faith, courage, and persistence. It is bursting with glorious culture from a faraway place and time written by someone who has lived in the respective locations long enough to make it feel completely authentic. It is also a joyful looking at new things from complete innocence. The quotes are not isolated ‘best of’ quotes but just examples of how the whole book is wonderfully written.
When Momo is four year old she sees the dog the head Lama and then asks her family for one like she saw. She is told maybe her uncle can bring her one. When she is eight Momo asks about the dog. The next excerpt is also a good example of details of her faith:
‘“My uncle never comes,” Momo said to her mother. “Shall I never get a terrier from Lhasa?”
“Everything depends on the will of God,” her gentle mother replied. “Pray to Him. If the blessed Lord Buddha wishes, He will bring you one.”
So Momo began to pray. Every morning and evening she took up the round prayer wheel her father had got from the Red Hat priests of the monastery, and twirled it in one hand as she helped her mother to keep up the fire. Their prayer wheel was only a small copper cylinder on a wooden handle, but inside it was stuffed with a thousand prayers, written in bold black letters in the lamas’ careful hand, and blessed by the head lama himself. As she kept the wheel revolving, Momo thought with satisfaction, “Now not only the one prayer of my mouth, but all these thousand prayers reach the ear of the Lord Buddha at the same time.” She waited more patiently, believing that He would one day hear these prayers and answer them.’
Momo does get her dog, and she asks for an astrologer to help with the naming, The decision is made to give the dog the same (real or other) name for Momo which is Pempa. Pempa means Saturday, and was the day Momo was born, and also was the day of the week when they get the dog. The astrologer goes on to make a prediction:
‘It is indeed right,” Dawa told her, ‘‘that you two be given the same name. For, by the will of the Blessed One, you two will go through many adventures, and this dog will bring fortune to you all.”’
So Momo gets her dog and is happy. This next bit is a nice description of the dog:
‘His tail arched gaily over his back and waved like a beautiful plume. Long golden hair fell like a curtain over his face, hiding his eyes until they flashed out merrily when he tossed his head. He was, Momo knew, the most beautiful dog in the world, and as her father had said of the head lama’s terrier, like a prince among men.
He was as gentle as he was strong, and had fine manners. Before entering the house in winter he always stopped to shake the snow from his long, thick hair. He sat up and begged for his tsampa, and said thank you with a bark and a wave of his paw. He could stand on his hind legs and dance to the music of Nema’s fiddle. Day and night he was at Momo’s side, in the house or on the hills, and always lovingly obedient to her least command, a merry and adoring companion. He understood, naturally, all her words and even her thoughts, and Momo returned his love in full measure.’
The book has a lot of details and uses a fair amount of terms. I don’t remember tsampa being fully explained in the book, but from Wikipedia again:
Tsampa or Tsamba (Tibetan: རྩམ་པ་, Wylie: rtsam pa; Chinese: 糌粑; pinyin: zānbā) is a Tibetan and Himalayan staple foodstuff, it is also prominent in parts of northern Nepal. It is glutinous meal made from roasted flour, usually barley flour and sometimes also wheat flour and flour prepared from tree peony seeds. It is usually mixed with the Tibetan butter tea.
Speaking of tea, it is spoken of often in the book and people carry their tea bowl in their robe. I am a huge (green) tea fan, but unfortunately, I didn’t find a good quote I wanted to save. The tea they speak of is different though. Again, from Wikipedia, the butter tea is described as ‘Traditionally, it is made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt.’
So Momo has her dog and all is well, but of course:
‘For so long Pempa had been one of the family, and the days and seasons had rolled by as before, that Nema had at last forgotten Dawa’s promise of the adventure and fortune he was to bring. Then, when least expected, like the sudden flash and crackle of lightning in a mountain storm, adventure came.’
Momo’s dog is stolen and that starts a great journey to get the dog back. Of course, along the way, everyone tells her it is hopeless and she should turn back but Momo is persistent. What I liked was in addition to worries a normal young girl might have to fear, there was also supernatural fears. These are some descriptions of what she felt she was facing she learned from her father Nema:
‘But from her father Momo had learned some fear. To Nema the Lord Buddha was good, no doubt, but very far away, beyond all sight or knowing. And the powers of evil—these were very close and terrible to Nema. He spent his days battling against them. There were the vast mountains, goddesses of great power; the guardian country gods; the deities of place, who dwelt in rocks, trees, or springs—spiteful creatures who in ill temper love to vex mankind; the earth demons; the bold demons of the sky, and all the devils, and ghosts of the spIrits of the dead. Some of these spirits were kind to man, but Most were not.’
‘She felt that something, something, was here. It was all about her, and it was something very strange.
"Ai! Ail” she wailed. For now she remembered. This, the very earth under her, was the burial ground of the British soldiers who had fallen in that battle long ago with her own people. And of all the ghosts, these, the foreign dead, were the most evil. Black and malignant devils, they were never to be appeased but by the sacrifice of a pig. She shrieked in terror.’
There may have been terrors along the way, but also beautiful places, exotic places, and new and wonderous things like cars and trains. As Momo runs in pursuit of those who stole her dog, she pauses at times to take in all the new wonders. Here is one passage where she stops to notice the scenery:
‘And she leaped again down the mountain, and was soon far from the jangle of bells and the clatter of hoofs, deep in the stillness of the forest. This was a place of dim enchantment. Light, high mists had drifted over the sun, and mingled with the heavier mist of lacy moss that trailed from the upper branches. Now and then a ray of sunshine filtered through this silver mist, and fell at Momo’s feet like a broad arrow, leading her on and down. But no sounds—not even the cry of a bird, nor the rush of water—disturbed the quiet dreaming peace of this forest. Even the roadway here was not stone, but soft earth, over which her feet padded silently.’
Here is a bit on riding in a rickshaw for the first time:
‘She looked with pleasure at the blue cushioned seat and the hood to protect the rider from sun or rain. How very strange it felt merely to sit above those turning wheels, and bowl gently down the street! And to watch the trotting legs of the rickshaw man before her in the shafts! Since she had grown too big to be lifted astride her father’s shoulder or her mother’s hip, Momo had never been carried by anything but her own strong legs, She laughed aloud with pleasure at this strange sensation, and the coolie turning, grinned at her and called to her cheerfully, “Tsk bai, baccha!”’ (All right, little girl!)’
Along the way Momo meets good and bad people. What I found fun is the curses or insults they throw at each other. Here is a good example:
‘The hot blood rushed to Momo’s cheeks, and she got very angry. She stamped her foot at the boy, and shouted at him in Tibetan, “What rudeness! Only a pig and the son of a pig and the reborn soul of a pig would be so disobedient to the laws of politeness to the stranger!”’
There were places in the book where I cried over her predicament, but through everything she believed in her faith and the prophecy. She goes from Tibet all the way to India! Here she is faced with the impossible situation to get on a train to Calcutta:
“How shall I be taken on this te-rain, without money for a tikkut?” Momo asked herself, and the shadow of a doubt ruffled the smooth trust of her mind. But she quickly smoothed it out again, with the thought, “He who has given me Pempa, and who has protected me so far, will find a way.”
I know I have shared a lot from the book but there is so much more. As a dog book fan, there could be more told of the dog, but everything with Momo’s story was so wonderful and interesting that it is enough for me to want to make a category for non-dog book favorite books. It is one I would like to read again, and if I am ever blessed with grandchildren, would want to read to them.
November 29, 2022
Books have changed my life. I have made many life decisions after reading a book at a specific time. I started homeschooling my first grader after reading a book, and I sent that same child to public school eight years later after reading a book. God speaks to me through the Word and through words.
As soon as I pulled this next scheduled read aloud off the shelf and perused the back, I groaned. My son had just spent the previous half year talking to us about getting a dog. He had researched for hours and written a long persuasive essay on the topic. When I saw this book, I knew a dog was in our future.
Momo lives on a great trade route near Jelep La pass in the Himalayas. She grows an unbreakable bond with her dog Pempa, and she wonders when Pempa will bring her and her family good fortune as foretold. When Pempa is stolen, Momo follows Pempa’s trail through the mountains to India. She encounters kindness and evil, and she learns to distinguish between them. With determination, hope, and empty pockets, Momo crosses borders and refuses to be deterred from her quest by the well-meaning and ill-meaning people she encounters.
We loved her spirit and ability to keep going on her own. As a parent, it is unconceivable that a young child would make this journey, but Momo’s character and brave escapes seem oddly realistic. Momo exemplifies the loyal bond between a girl and her dog, and it softened my own heart toward getting one.
As soon as I pulled this next scheduled read aloud off the shelf and perused the back, I groaned. My son had just spent the previous half year talking to us about getting a dog. He had researched for hours and written a long persuasive essay on the topic. When I saw this book, I knew a dog was in our future.
Momo lives on a great trade route near Jelep La pass in the Himalayas. She grows an unbreakable bond with her dog Pempa, and she wonders when Pempa will bring her and her family good fortune as foretold. When Pempa is stolen, Momo follows Pempa’s trail through the mountains to India. She encounters kindness and evil, and she learns to distinguish between them. With determination, hope, and empty pockets, Momo crosses borders and refuses to be deterred from her quest by the well-meaning and ill-meaning people she encounters.
We loved her spirit and ability to keep going on her own. As a parent, it is unconceivable that a young child would make this journey, but Momo’s character and brave escapes seem oddly realistic. Momo exemplifies the loyal bond between a girl and her dog, and it softened my own heart toward getting one.
March 24, 2018
I randomly found this book at a Goodwill when I was like, eight years old maybe. At this point I had not the first clue about any type of life outside my own very narrow experience, and the descriptions and details about Tibet and India blew my mind. It's not written by someone from there, so I don't know if everything is completely accurate or not, but the sheer mind-broadening effect of encountering so many new concepts was unforgettable to me as a kid. Even now I still really enjoy Momo's journey, and the way everything works out is super satisfying.
("EVERYTHING WORKS OUT TOO PERFECTLY, THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S REALISTIC!" Okay Lord Grimdark McEdgelord, but consider... that's the way I WANT everything to work out in my children's books, thank you.)
("EVERYTHING WORKS OUT TOO PERFECTLY, THERE'S NO WAY THAT'S REALISTIC!" Okay Lord Grimdark McEdgelord, but consider... that's the way I WANT everything to work out in my children's books, thank you.)
March 24, 2014
This is a beautiful story of determination, courage and adventure. Although one may think at first, that it is a reading just for children, surprisingly it offers much more for anyone who reads it.
PROS: The book is short and an easy reading. Besides the highly ethical virtues portrayed, the narrative is so detailed and compelling that one almost feels like traveling with Momo from her village in Tibet to Calcutta. Moreover, there are plenty of cultural references for people interested in cultural anthropology and human diversity. Even more, the faith and religious values of the Tibetan people are also demonstrated and to a great extend, the author shows the importance of spiritual foundations in human determination.
CONS: The only "con" I can think of is the fact that the story is not totally resolved. [Beginning of spoiler] Although at the end, Momo recovers her dog, one wonders how can she possibly make it back home by herself and this time carrying an expensive dog along [end of spoiler].
Conclusion: This is an excellent reading for families. I can see myself using it as a startup for a dialogue about human values, dreams, cultures, religions and persistence. Read it, you will enjoy the story and be inspired by it.
PROS: The book is short and an easy reading. Besides the highly ethical virtues portrayed, the narrative is so detailed and compelling that one almost feels like traveling with Momo from her village in Tibet to Calcutta. Moreover, there are plenty of cultural references for people interested in cultural anthropology and human diversity. Even more, the faith and religious values of the Tibetan people are also demonstrated and to a great extend, the author shows the importance of spiritual foundations in human determination.
CONS: The only "con" I can think of is the fact that the story is not totally resolved. [Beginning of spoiler] Although at the end, Momo recovers her dog, one wonders how can she possibly make it back home by herself and this time carrying an expensive dog along [end of spoiler].
Conclusion: This is an excellent reading for families. I can see myself using it as a startup for a dialogue about human values, dreams, cultures, religions and persistence. Read it, you will enjoy the story and be inspired by it.
July 21, 2012
Contender for 12/13 read-aloud. Set in Tibet/India. Lots of learning about a different culture, but too long for our purposes.
Sweet little book. My 10 yo will love it. It was really fun, but if my 10 yo ran off down the mountain after her dog without my permission I might kill her.
I think it would be delightful for most children. Loved the feel of the scenery & people of far-away places. Rankin did a good job of setting the stage.
Sweet little book. My 10 yo will love it. It was really fun, but if my 10 yo ran off down the mountain after her dog without my permission I might kill her.
I think it would be delightful for most children. Loved the feel of the scenery & people of far-away places. Rankin did a good job of setting the stage.
January 11, 2015
This delightful book tells the story of Momo, a Tibetan girl who wants a golden terrier more than anything. It is unclear if her dog is a Lhasa apso or a Tibetan terrier. Once she gets the dog, he is stolen and Momo treks off over the mountains alone, to find the thief and get her dog back.
I found the book both informative on Tibetan culture and a good story.
I found the book both informative on Tibetan culture and a good story.
December 28, 2022
Momo is on a perilous journey to find her precious dog Pempa. She will go across vast terrains and encounter dangerous villains and harsh landscapes on her quest. My son and I enjoyed learning more about a new culture and brave people.
November 20, 2025
Read this for our co-op and teetered between a three and four star. It felt a bit slow at points but I really loved the ending!
June 27, 2023
While I am not a dog person and therefore did not find the storyline of this book at all enticing or interesting, I loved how informative the story was about the culture and geography of the region surrounding Tibet and India. I love books that are educational without feeling educational.
CC: theft, abuse, the main character has a Christian mother and Buddhist father so her own belief system is a confusing mixture of the two
CC: theft, abuse, the main character has a Christian mother and Buddhist father so her own belief system is a confusing mixture of the two
November 11, 2019
Solid 4 stars. Pempa, "Momo" (dumpling), is the daughter of the local mail carrier and his wife, who runs a tea shop for the men of the mule caravans that transport Tibet's wool south across the Himalayas and into India to Calcutta (modern Kolkata). The story takes place a short time before Partition (separation of British imperial India into India/Hindustan and Pakistan) in 1947 which caused between 200,000 and 2 million deaths (it all depends how you count, I suppose) and displaced 14 million people. Because the book was published in 1948 none of that trauma occurs in the story. It is a mostly peaceful journey that Momo takes from her mountain home in Tibet to Calcutta in search of her stolen dog. That doesn't mean it's not an adventure, it's just that the political realities of the time are missing from the story. All the different ethnicities (Tibetan, Bhutanese, various Indian peoples, Sikhs, Chinese, etc) coexist peacefully under the "benevolent" hand of British rule and Momo seems to encounter all of them. Ultimately it's a story of faith. Momo wants a Lhasan terrier (Lhasa Apso) from the moment she sees one at a temple when she's 4 yrs old. Initially told that her uncle will bring one when he returns to the village, she tires of waiting and is told to pray - which she does diligently and often. When she is ten she prays with a fair amount of fervor, spinning the prayer wheels until the bells clang violently. This gets the attention of a monk/priest who investigates and basically tells her that her prayers will be answered...and of course they are when the season's first caravan delivers a puppy into her hands. Two years later her dog is stolen by a different caravan to be sold to a British woman in Calcutta. Momo leaves her home and follows after, always about a day or two late. Is it plausible that a 12-13 year old girl could make such a journey by herself while speaking only her own language? Probably not, but it is a good read. If I have a quibble, it's in the depiction of the British who are just a bit too wonderful and their servants are just a bit too happy. It nudges at my anti-imperialist tendencies. Would everyone enjoy this story? No. It's going to be a bit to descriptive and light on plot for many readers, but someone who likes reading about different cultures and travel will enjoy it. I read this for my 2019 Reading Challenge and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1948).
July 4, 2020
Daughter of the Mountains lost the Newbery Medal to King of the Wind, and now that I’ve typed that out, I realize just how similar the books are in terms of style. Perhaps a sign of the times. Daughter of the Mountains is about Momo, who, after her dog is stolen from her, sets out to find him again, a journey which takes her across the mountains of Tibet down into India. As far as accuracy of representation goes, I honestly have no idea (though at the beginning Rankin seems to describe them as ignorant and superstitious, by the end that image has completely vanished for a more favorable one), but Rankin at least seemed to know what she was talking about in describing dress, manner, and customs of the people. Momo constantly prays to Tara, a Buddhist goddess/bodhisittva (there’s also a Hindu goddess of the same name), and there is even, perhaps, a mention of the arrival of Christianity into India, though I could be mistaken.
The reason I rated the book so low is because by the end, I was more than a little tired of the extravagant, flowery way Rankin wrote, to the point where even her characters spoke embellishingly, even the eight-to-ten-year-old girl who is the main character. In addition, Momo’s journey is almost too perfect—though there are several points where she is in some danger, and many where she is lost, everything always ends up aligning perfectly for her, down to the British military leader/governor (or something) who stumbles upon her crying and for some reason decides to address the poor little mountain girl and buy her a train ticket. And the fulsome acceptance and praise heaped upon her at the end by the British couple was far, far too much. In fact, if I must criticize Rankin for her description of India at the time, it’s the complete lack of tension and antagonism that existed in that time, right before British rule ended in India. A children’s book, yes, but a very, very romanticized one.
The reason I rated the book so low is because by the end, I was more than a little tired of the extravagant, flowery way Rankin wrote, to the point where even her characters spoke embellishingly, even the eight-to-ten-year-old girl who is the main character. In addition, Momo’s journey is almost too perfect—though there are several points where she is in some danger, and many where she is lost, everything always ends up aligning perfectly for her, down to the British military leader/governor (or something) who stumbles upon her crying and for some reason decides to address the poor little mountain girl and buy her a train ticket. And the fulsome acceptance and praise heaped upon her at the end by the British couple was far, far too much. In fact, if I must criticize Rankin for her description of India at the time, it’s the complete lack of tension and antagonism that existed in that time, right before British rule ended in India. A children’s book, yes, but a very, very romanticized one.
July 15, 2022
I had not read this book since I was about ten years old (i.e., over a half-century ago), but I have always remembered it as a fascinating and thrilling book. I am happy to report that it still holds the same enchantment for me!
This is a true adventure story, set in Tibet and India during the time of British rule (but late in this period, as it does mention cars). What I love about this book is the feeling of total immersion in another place and culture (more than one culture, actually, as the heroine's escapades lead her from her home in a Tibetan village to the teeming streets of Calcutta). Momo, the heroine, is totally relatable, even though she is having experiences well beyond any American child's. She reminds me of my beloved Brave Irene, the absolute best feminist picture book (IMHO), by William Steig. And even though this book was written so many years ago, it manages to be very respectful and culturally sensitive. No wonder Daughter of the Mountains has remained in my head and heart all these years! It's a treasure!
This is a true adventure story, set in Tibet and India during the time of British rule (but late in this period, as it does mention cars). What I love about this book is the feeling of total immersion in another place and culture (more than one culture, actually, as the heroine's escapades lead her from her home in a Tibetan village to the teeming streets of Calcutta). Momo, the heroine, is totally relatable, even though she is having experiences well beyond any American child's. She reminds me of my beloved Brave Irene, the absolute best feminist picture book (IMHO), by William Steig. And even though this book was written so many years ago, it manages to be very respectful and culturally sensitive. No wonder Daughter of the Mountains has remained in my head and heart all these years! It's a treasure!
December 14, 2017
"Momo has always wanted a Lhasa terrier--a dog like the ones the Buddhist priests hold sacred in their temples. Her dream is realized when a trader brings Pempa to her parents' tea house. But after a band of robbers steals the valuable dog and quickly escapes with him into the mountains. Momo is determined to catch them and recover her beloved Pempa. To do so, she must follow the Great Trade Route across the mountains--a path that most people avoid, and which will surely put her life at risk. Momo undertakes a dangerous journey from the mountains of Tibet to the city of Calcutta, in search of her stolen dog Pempa."
A delightful and very heartwarming little story. Someone left this book sitting out on a table for anyone to read, I picked it up to do just that. I am glad I did.
A delightful and very heartwarming little story. Someone left this book sitting out on a table for anyone to read, I picked it up to do just that. I am glad I did.
February 6, 2024
Louise Rankin’s book is rich in descriptive language engaging all the senses. I felt like we’d had a running tour through Tibet and part of India into Calcutta. The author painted good word pictures of the different cultures, religions, and scenery that we passed; including helpful and abusive people. Various deities were asked to help. For children this was a nice introduction to the culture of these lands.
Excellent illustrations, by Kurt Wiese that truly reflected the story. Lovely cover art.
#inkdrawings #kurtwiese #illustratorkurtwiese
#TibetanBuddhism #lhasa #Tibet #India #1940s #SonlightCurriculum
Excellent illustrations, by Kurt Wiese that truly reflected the story. Lovely cover art.
#inkdrawings #kurtwiese #illustratorkurtwiese
#TibetanBuddhism #lhasa #Tibet #India #1940s #SonlightCurriculum
November 26, 2019
Great adventure story about Tibetan culture, geography about the area, and a heart felt search for a girl's dream to be reunited despite all odds with her dog. Good for upper elementary and adults. Easy read. Great attention to details with vivid descriptions, smilies, and metaphors. My favorites was when she compared trains to a snake or a dragon. Great literary technique. It's no wonder it won awards!
January 21, 2021
I read this aloud to my 6th grade daughter as part of her history curriculum. We both enjoyed it greatly. While there may be some small inaccuracies, we enjoyed the general feeling of being swept from the high Tibetan mountains to the plains of India and all that entails. It does what good historical fiction does: inspires the reader to want to learn more about the time period, culture, and country. The story and characters were equally entertaining, and the ending was satisfying.
January 4, 2019
A solid 3.5 stars. This was a read aloud for our history unit in school. The kids really enjoyed the story of Momo going on an adventure to find her dog. The beginning was a bit slow, but once she was off on her adventure, the pace really picked up. Love it when I can read about brave and heroic literary characters (especially girls!) with my kids.
March 30, 2020
I love this story about a little Tibetan girls' epic quest to get her beloved dog back from thieves. I'd read it before to my older children but I enjoyed it just as much the second time. The author writes with very colourful, descriptive language. And the book causes you to absorb so much cultural information, not only about Tibet, but about India toward the end of the time the British ruled.
April 14, 2017
Cute, but imperfectly researched, and with a touch of weird racism. (The coolies and house guards were very happy to serve the Sahibs....) A note on history by the author, but no way of knowing whether she knew whereof she spoke.
January 16, 2019
I just finished reading this aloud with my 10yo son. We loved this sweet adventure story. So much potential for a full unit study of Tibet/India. We discovered it as it was a suggested read-aloud with The Good and The Beautiful's History 2 curriculum.
April 18, 2019
Average of our three reviews: 4.5 stars
Neph (8 years old) took off a whole star for Momo’s dog being stolen. Timothy (10 years old) only took off half a star. Both boys liked that Momo got her dog back. Mom gave it five stars.
Neph (8 years old) took off a whole star for Momo’s dog being stolen. Timothy (10 years old) only took off half a star. Both boys liked that Momo got her dog back. Mom gave it five stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
A great book of overcoming obstacles. My kids and I loved learning about Tibetan culture and different places along the Great Trade route. The imagery in the book was phenomenal. Could be a little slow at times.
July 22, 2021
Children's literature, chapter book, Newbery Honor book 1949, 5th grade reading level, 5th grade+ interest level
Rich in culture, a Tibetan girl sets out on an adventure, as foretold by an astrologer, all the way to Calcutta, in the 1930s. Enjoyed the illustrations, too.
Rich in culture, a Tibetan girl sets out on an adventure, as foretold by an astrologer, all the way to Calcutta, in the 1930s. Enjoyed the illustrations, too.
October 1, 2010
I can't remember why I hated this book, but I hated it. And so did Leina. If anyone can remember why this book was awful please remind us.
August 20, 2016
I really liked the insights into the Himalayas and thought it was a well-written story.
October 6, 2025
Summary: Momo is a Tibetan girl who receives a special Lhasa terrier, and along with it, a prophecy that the dog will lead her to adventures and fortune. One day, a group of traveling merchants steal her dog, so she decides to chase them down the Great Trade Route towards India. An interesting peek into Tibet and India at this specific moment in time driven by a serviceable adventure plot.
Discussion: I thought there was a chance I had read this as a kid, but now I’m thinking I was just confusing Louise Rankin for Ellen Raskin, the Newbery winner for The Westing Game. Definitely don’t remember the book itself.
Older Newbery books set in foreign countries can be dicey: to what extent does the author know about the culture they’re writing about, how hard are they going to lean into stereotypes, how comedic are they going to play the differences between our culture and theirs? This book seems to avoid obvious cringe moments like that, though, and apparently Louise Rankin spent some years living in India and Tibet, so she did have some firsthand knowledge of what she was writing about.
So, the setting here is the selling point of the book, especially the earlier chapters in Tibet. It sounds like it’d be really fun to experience a walk down the trade route, spending nights in the various small towns that dot the road. The train rides and Calcutta were less interesting to me — okay, they’re crowded, and have people from all over Asia living there, but that’s probably still the case today. The plot itself, of Momo going after her dog, seems secondary to showing off these different places. You can assume in a book like this that there’s going to be a happy ending, and doubly so when it’s been foretold (and the foretelling repeatedly mentioned). The actual ending here is so over-the-top happy that we even get an incredibly happy ending for a character who appeared for three pages in the middle of the book.
One nitpick, and knowing that the plot is secondary, but I did think it was weird that the trading party who stole her dog was so far ahead of Momo the whole time. How fast are mules? Especially when she kept talking about how treacherous the footing was for them, and how she was racing the entire time — the second page of the book says Tibetan kids can cover 40 or 50 miles a day like it’s nothing!
Discussion: I thought there was a chance I had read this as a kid, but now I’m thinking I was just confusing Louise Rankin for Ellen Raskin, the Newbery winner for The Westing Game. Definitely don’t remember the book itself.
Older Newbery books set in foreign countries can be dicey: to what extent does the author know about the culture they’re writing about, how hard are they going to lean into stereotypes, how comedic are they going to play the differences between our culture and theirs? This book seems to avoid obvious cringe moments like that, though, and apparently Louise Rankin spent some years living in India and Tibet, so she did have some firsthand knowledge of what she was writing about.
So, the setting here is the selling point of the book, especially the earlier chapters in Tibet. It sounds like it’d be really fun to experience a walk down the trade route, spending nights in the various small towns that dot the road. The train rides and Calcutta were less interesting to me — okay, they’re crowded, and have people from all over Asia living there, but that’s probably still the case today. The plot itself, of Momo going after her dog, seems secondary to showing off these different places. You can assume in a book like this that there’s going to be a happy ending, and doubly so when it’s been foretold (and the foretelling repeatedly mentioned). The actual ending here is so over-the-top happy that we even get an incredibly happy ending for a character who appeared for three pages in the middle of the book.
One nitpick, and knowing that the plot is secondary, but I did think it was weird that the trading party who stole her dog was so far ahead of Momo the whole time. How fast are mules? Especially when she kept talking about how treacherous the footing was for them, and how she was racing the entire time — the second page of the book says Tibetan kids can cover 40 or 50 miles a day like it’s nothing!
September 8, 2025
3.5*, So I thought for sure my dog obsessed daughter would enjoy this read aloud for history. I was wrong. She did not enjoy it and really wished for it to be over. I thought it started slow but got better as we went. I think a large part of why she didn't enjoy it is it gets almost too detailed in parts, which is great to learn about the locations, but which led to her mind wandering a lot. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't reading it aloud and she hadn't dreaded it.
As for the story, it gives a really good idea of the Tibetan mountain area and the differences in climate, culture, etc as Momo travels south to Calcutta. I liked all the different interactions she had and how they weren't all great experiences. As a parent it is hard to read the story knowing how far she is traveling alone. So, overall I recommend for personal reading, but not read aloud, and for somehow with a longer attention span when reading really descriptive passages.
"For by nature Momo was hot-tempered, and her patient mother taught her, when she felt the waves of anger rising in her, always to stop and pray." pg 76
"It would be wise for you to wish the child well. 'Whatever happiness is in the world has arisen from a wish for the welfare of others. Whatever misery there is has arisen from indulging in selfishness.'" She finished the old Buddhist proverb" pg 134
As for the story, it gives a really good idea of the Tibetan mountain area and the differences in climate, culture, etc as Momo travels south to Calcutta. I liked all the different interactions she had and how they weren't all great experiences. As a parent it is hard to read the story knowing how far she is traveling alone. So, overall I recommend for personal reading, but not read aloud, and for somehow with a longer attention span when reading really descriptive passages.
"For by nature Momo was hot-tempered, and her patient mother taught her, when she felt the waves of anger rising in her, always to stop and pray." pg 76
"It would be wise for you to wish the child well. 'Whatever happiness is in the world has arisen from a wish for the welfare of others. Whatever misery there is has arisen from indulging in selfishness.'" She finished the old Buddhist proverb" pg 134
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