Zen Master, poet, and peace and human rights activist Thich Nhat Hanh was born in central Vietnam in 1926 and became a novice monk at the age of sixteen. Written by the author in his late twenties, My Master's Robe is set in the heart of a peaceful monastery that is surrounded by war during the years from 1942-1947. The simplicity and clarity of monastic life provides the background against which characters are lovingly presented: the elderly cook, the Master who sews by lamplight, the lizard who dares to eat rice offered for the Buddha, the young French soldier seeking understanding, and others.