Somewhere in the remotest Himalaya lies Shambhala, the legendary paradise that inspired the story of Shangri-La. On her travels in Nepal, Elaine Brook had heard tales of mysterious hidden valleys and, without knowing quite what she was seeking, plunged into a difficult and dangerous journey the length of the highest mountain range on earth in the company of two Sherpas. So began her awakening to Buddhist wisdom, but it almost ended in starvation in the high western desert. Afterwards, unable to settle, she renewed the quest by penetrating the forbidden region of Mustang, where no European had trod for 30 years. She was adopted by the Mustang Royal Family and became enmeshed in court intrigues as well as marriage into the family of a Sherpa shaman. Her strange encounters with hermits and magicians led her finally to the High Lama who became her spiritual teacher.