This definitive account provides an intriguing glimpse into the Tibetan community that settled into exile in Mcleod Ganj, India. As much a study of the country and its culture as an investigation of displaced citizenry, the narrative exposes historical and political developments as well as the intricacies of religion and spirituality. Written in a journalistic style but with lyrical, descriptive passages, it chronicles the investigation of the sinister Dorje Shugden cult, which resulted in murder and threats on the life of HH Dalai Lama, his subsequent ban on the cult, the flight of the Karmapa Lama, and the controversy of the alternative claimants to the title. Interviews, diary entries, and case studies explain what became of the two Panchen Lamas and shed light on the mysteries of Tibetan medicine and a culture that is alive in the hearts of its people.

A Long Way from Tibet, Carlo Buldrini, Tara Press, Paperback, 2005, 226 pp, $12.95

Carlo Buldrini was born in Trieste and graduated from Istituto Universitario di Architettura of Venice. He lived in India for 30 years from 1971 to 2000 where he worked as a journalist and acting director of the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre. His previous book In India e Dintorni is a collection of articles on South Asia. At present, he is dividing his time between New Delhi and Perugia, Italy.