Vintage Books, 2001. Minor signs of wear to cover, otherwise good secondhand copy.

"The Buddha from Brooklyn" tells the complex and fascinating story of how Catharine Burroughs, now known as Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, embarked on a journey to build the largest Tibetan Buddhist center in America. With boundless enthusiasm but precious little formal training in Buddhist practices and traditions, Jetsunma and her students bought an estate in Poolesville, Maryland, on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., and founded Kunzang Palyul Choling (Fully Awakened Dharma Continent of Absolute Clear Light). Under Jetsunma's tutelage, the group memorized sacred texts and held all-night prayer vigils. They asked venerable Tibetan lamas to visit and give them "empowerments." Many took Buddhist vows and became monks and nuns. And as word of this remarkable place spread, others came to see the new lama for themselves and joined her community.

Sherrill has created a brilliant work of investigative journalism that raises profound, provocative questions about religious faith and its price. "The Buddha from Brooklyn" is a monument to the miracles and failures that stem from the deepest human longings.