When Marian goes missing at the end of her six-month work contract in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, her twin sister Ruth journeys from Canada to Bhutan to look for her. Learning of Marian’s love for a Bhutanese monk and her hazardous trek over a mountain pass to Tibet, Ruth fears for Marian. A sinister Tibetan also in pursuit of Marian adds to the mystery and intrigue. The novel is a tale of mystery, adventure and romance set against an enchanting backdrop of Bhutan, while it recounts two sisters’ physical and spiritual journeys to reach each other and find their true selves.
Here's what some literary authorities say of The Heart of the Buddha:
“Elsie Sze’s The Heart of the Buddha is a passionate story of two sisters’ adventures in Bhutan. Part travelogue, part love story, Sze’s elegant prose tells a suspenseful story. I couldn’t put this book down.”
-- Leanne Lieberman, author of Gravity
"In a captivating novel that sets the joys of the sisterly bond against the allure of impossible love, Elsie Sze spins a fluid story of determination, devotion and ethical dilemma. As Sze's characters grapple with disparities in cultures and spiritual beliefs, heart-rending questions are laid bare – questions of love's meaning and its ultimate costs.”
-- Ania Szado, author of Beginning of Was
“A triple-treat, The Heart of the Buddha satisfies as a puzzling mystery, a heart-wrenching love story and a vivid travel guide to an exotic land.”
--Cairns Media Magazine
Elsie