Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan

Reader reviewed by Pritom

Simply unputdownable! This is a real story of the gradual transformation of the young Canadian author amidst a culture starkly different from that of her country of origin. Moving from a land of plenty to a land of material deprivation was not an easy journey for her. However, Jamie eventually realises that the existence of the universal and eternal values of love, generosity and simplicity are independent of material wealth and technological progress. In that sense, she finds in thsi Buddhist nation what the Buddha discovered more than 2500 years ago.

The brilliance of the author is reflected not only in the simple, honest and sensitive treatment of the subject, but perhaps more so in her uncanny ability to blur the boundary between the reader and her personal journey. Before the reader realises it, her story becomes the reader's story as well. Consequently, the reader too falls in love with the heart-warming simplicity and day-to-day generosity of its people and natural beauty of this unqiue Himalayan Kingdom . This book is a beautiful gift from Jamie for those of us who wish to participate in her unforgettable journey of discovery without actually having to step out of the comfort of our homes.

Reader reviewed by Jamie

In this memoir, a Canadian woman decides to take her first trip outside of North America before she gets married. After accepting a teaching post in Bhutan, a tiny kingdom in the Himalayas bordering China and India, she eventually breaks off her engagement and falls in love with another man.

Great book I loved it!

Reader reviewed by L. Eustace

A 23 year old woman, pondering on whether to continue on with her college education and to get married to her fiance sporadically decides to go to a foreign city, located in a foreign country in a foreign area few- if no one- has heard of. Without the usual modern restroom and water facilities, she still manages to enjoy the lands... and find romance.