Next installment of Tommi Reads the World – we’re in the Bs.
Country: Bhutan
Title: Dawa: The Story of a Stray Dog in Bhutan
Author: Kunzang Choden
Language: English
Translator: None
Publisher: Riyang Books 2016, originally published 2004
Dawa is the story of a street dog. While I’ve never been to Bhutan, I did study in Thailand where street dogs, or soi dogs, were everywhere. It took me some time to adjust to seeing these dogs that belonged to no one and everyone all at the same time, and I fought the urge to put them all in my suitcase upon my return flight home. My mother is likely still surprised I didn’t get stopped trying to smuggle one out of the country. (I’ve included a picture of one of “my” soi dogs that I saw nearly every day for close to five months.)
These dogs, and the fragile relationships they cultivate with residents, tourists, and monks is something special to me. When I saw that Dawa was about a stray street dog, it was an easy selection for my Bhutan work.
Dawa is a slim work written in English that was first introduced in Bhutan as an English textbook for high school students. The novella follows Dawa, a yellow brown dog born of meager means. Dawa was the smallest in his litter and was misshapen due to malnourishment. His name was Koto, or Crooked. When he decided to claim his narrative and improve his lot, he changed his name Dawa Koto, or Crooked Moon – the imperfect and the perfect. And he became a leader.
Dawa understands Dzongkha, the national language, which puts him at an advantage over other dogs. He is actually a translator of many languages who has been reborn as a dog, and he continues to have a zest for adventure and languages. He becomes determined to learn how to speak the most perfect Dzonghkha, which requires studying the monks to model their speech.
Dawa has numerous adventures and meets many dogs along the way – pampered pets, guard dogs, and other street dogs. (Apparently “Tommy” is a popular name for dogs in Bhutan – both male and female.) When he realizes he has the dreaded mange, Dawa decides to go on a pilgrimage to a cave rumored to have cured a man of leprosy. His zest for adventure, knowledge, and life is a constant driving force, and Dawa lives a full and beautiful life. Through his eyes, he takes us to Bhutan – and that is what makes this simple book about a stray dog beautiful.
Read this book.
A Girl Named Tommi 