Married to Bhutan

Tucked away in the eastern end of the Himalayas lies Bhutan - a tiny, landlocked country bordering China and India. Impossibly remote and nearly inaccessible, Bhutan is rich in natural beauty, exotic plants and animals, and crazy wisdom. It is a place where people are genuinely content with very few material possessions and the government embraces 'Gross National Happiness' instead of Gross National Product.

In this funny, magical memoir, we accompany Linda Leaming on her travels through South Asia, sharing her experiences as she learns the language, customs and religion; her surprising romance with a Buddhist artist; and her realisations about the unexpected path to happiness and accidental enlightenment.

As one of the few Americans to have lived in Bhutan, Leaming offers a rare glimpse into the quirky mountain kingdom so many have only dreamed of. For over ten years, Leaming has lived and worked in the capital city of Thimphu, where there are no traffic lights and fewer than 100,000 people. "If enlightenment is possible anywhere," she writes, "I think it is particularly possible here."

With fantastic lessons from the Bhutanese way of life, beautiful evocations of this unspoiled land and a love story which is founded on the new peace she found in Bhutan, this book will appeal to anyone who wants to go on a voyage of discovery: to a foreign land or within the self.

As engaging and magical as Bhutan itself, written with heart and insight, Married to Bhutan is a wonderful memoir and a great journey. Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief

Linda Leaming is a writer whose work has appeared in Ladies' Home Journal, Mandala, The Guardian , A Woman's Asia (Travelers' Tales), and many other publications. Eric Weiner included her in his bestseller, The Geography of Bliss. She regularly speaks about Bhutan at colleges, churches, seminars and book groups. She is married to the renowned Bhutanese thanka painter, Phurba Namgay. Find her at: and .

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