From the Preface:

"When I was a child growing up in Nepal, I listened to a story that has been told and retold for centuries -- the legend of how the wondrous valley of Kathmandu came to be. It is a story that captivated me as a child and has inspired me as a writer.

"The Legend of Machig is a love letter to Nepal, its teachers, and its teachings. Nepal has always been a land of magic and marvel. Where astounding natural beauty inspires and awes people throughout the world. But moving beyond the world's highest mountains, once can find that this is a land of myths. Of history. Of spirituality and self-discovery."

The Legend of Machig: A Prequel to The Magical Monkey of Swayambhu, Luke Davis, Vajra Books, Hardcover (12" x 8.5"), 38 pages, $16.95

Luke Davis was born to an Australian mother and British father, but was raised mostly in Nepal, along with his two brothers. Luke graduated from the American school -- Lincoln School -- in Kathmandu and went back to Australia where he completed a degree in English Literature, and further Masters degrees in Education and Sports Coaching. Luke returned to nepal to teach at his old school and now has a family of his own. He wrote The Legend of Machig as a tribute to Swayambhu, Nepal and its profound stories and spirituality.