Enlightenment for Idiots A Novel

Nearing thirty, Amanda thought she'd be someone else by now. Instead, she's an ex-nanny yogini-wannabe who cranks out "For Idiots" travel guides. True, she has a sexy photographer boyfriend, but he's usually off shooting a dogsled race in Alaska or a vision quest in Peruor just hooking up with other girls. However, she's sure her new assignment to the ashrams of India will change everything. India, it turns out, is not the spiritual refuge she'd pictured. But when a wandering mystic offers her an enigmatic blessing, Amanda realizes a new life may be in storejust not the one she was expecting. "Cushman's send-up of the New Age American dream is both thoughtful and wise." Shambhala Sun "A fun read, especially if you're in on the joke (and even if you aren't)...When you read between the lines for the wisdom that is woven throughout Cushman's fun romp, this book serves as a call to enlightenment and an introduction to yoga philosophy." Yoga Journal "Engaging...Cushman brilliantly interweaves snippets of Buddhist teachings with the mishaps and successes of their journey, infusing the book with wisdom and humor." Booklist

ANNE CUSHMAN is a contributing editor to both Yoga Journal and Tricycle: The Buddhist Review and is the coauthor of From Here to Nirvana, a seeker’s guide to spiritual India. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times; the San Francisco Chronicle; O, the Oprah Magazine; and Salon.com; and have been anthologized in Best Buddhist Writing 2004; A Woman’s Path: Women’s Best Spiritual Travel Writing; and other books. This is her first novel.


From the Hardcover edition.