On a journey through Southeast Asia, a writer discovers the survival of age-old truths in a world gone mad. "A brilliant corrective to euphemistic travel writing and a profound look at the spiritual life under duress... Wurlitzer sets a new standard of truth for the widening crowd of those who would write about the spiritual life." - San Francisco Chronicle "A dark jewel, sharp and compact...what a rare thing Wurlitzer has written: a book of spirit that cuts to the bone." - Voice Literary Supplement "Favorite 25 books of 1994