Roots of Ambition

About the Book

Roots of Ambition: From the Himalayas to the World is the extraordinary true story of a boy shaped by mountains, loss, exile, and grace — and how those early scars became the foundation for a global life.

Born in the shadow of Bhutan’s sacred Chorten Kora and raised by a grandmother whose strength came from prayer and the forest, Chorten Wangyel’s childhood was a rhythm of work, wisdom, and survival. But when tragedy struck — the death of his mother, the collapse of his family, and the door of his own home closing against him — he found himself alone at thirteen, drifting between villages, army kitchens, and the streets of Bhutan’s capital. Hunger led him one way. Faith led him another. And a brief fall into jail at fourteen became the unlikely turning point that would redirect the entire course of his life.

From guarding cornfields against monkeys to washing dishes for three dollars a month, from a prison cell to a small Christian fellowship where he first learned the meaning of renewal, Chorten carried one quiet promise: his children would never know the shame he once felt.

That promise led him out of Bhutan, through India, and eventually into the world of hospitality — where discipline learned in hardship became leadership across continents.

From The Cove Eleuthera and The Dunmore in The Bahamas to Kisawa Sanctuary in Mozambique and Coral Sands on Harbour Island, his journey traces what it means to lead without losing the values that shaped you.

At its heart, this is a book about roots and responsibility — about ambition that rises, but never forgets where it began. It is about how mountains, oceans, and people become teachers; how suffering becomes wisdom; and how a boy who was once turned away found a way to open doors for others. Roots of Ambition is not just a memoir. It is a testament to resilience, faith, and the quiet power of a life built from the inside out.