In Search of Buddha's Daughters: The Hidden Lives and Fearless Work of Buddhist Nuns

An unprecedented two-year, 60,000-mile global odyssey in the company of extraordinary women who choose to dedicate their lives to Buddhism--a book "with the power to inspire a new perspective on how to live, how to view those around us, and how to find deep and lasting happiness in what we already possess" (Financial Times)

The Tibetan Buddhist nuns who Christine Toomey happened to meet in 2011 told stories she couldn't forget--of prison, extreme hardship, and ultimately fleeing across the Himalayas into exile. Amazed by their unshakable devotion, and motivated by her own recent losses, Toomey spent the next two years seeking other ordained Buddhist women--across India, Nepal, Burma, Japan, Europe, and America.

A feat of immersive journalism, In Search of Buddha's Daughters introduces 50 of the courageous nuns Toomey found and lived alongside for a time--women of all ages and walks of life, searching for peace and determined to help others find it, too. As a travelogue, it takes readers behind the walls of monastic dwellings and temples where few ever go. As an investigation, it is essential reporting on meditation, Buddhism, and the status of women today.