LEAVING MOTHER LAKE is the haunting memoir of a girl growing up in a remarkable place. The Chinese refer to Moso country in the Himalayas as "the Country of Daughters," because of the people"s unique matrilineal society. In Moso culture there is no word for father, marriage is considered a backward practice, and property is passed on from mother to daughter. But even in this land of women, familial tension is eternal. Namu is a strong-willed daughter, and conflicts between her and her rebellious mother lead her to break the taboo that holds the Moso world together: she leaves her mother"s house. The story of Namu"s childhood and her decision to create a life of her own makes for a story full of drama, strangeness, and beauty. For all its exoticism, this is a universal tale of mothers and daughters-the battles that drive them apart and the love that brings them back together.