Point of View

We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies is written from the first person points of view of the four main characters. The chapters that appear under the headings “Lhamo” are written from Lhamo’s first person perspective. Those appearing under the “Dolma” headings are written from Lhamo’s daughter Dolma’s first person vantage point. The chapters collected within the “Tenkyi” section are written from Lhamo’s sister Tenkyi’s first person perspective, and those collected within the “Samphel” section are written from Lhamo’s lover Samphel’s first person perspective.

By allowing Lhamo’s, Dolma’s, Tenkyi’s, and Samphel’s voices to share the narrative space in this manner, the author formally enacts her thematic explorations concerning family, belonging, and interconnection. Throughout the novel, each of the primary characters is searching for a sense of safety and security. Torn from their homeland and...