Nestled in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, McLeod Ganj is a town of quiet beauty and surprising violence, where reality has the wide-open sense of a dream. The home of the Dalai Lama, it is a place where a government consults an ancient oracle for matters of importance, monasteries flourish and people believe wholeheartedly in the truth of miracles.

Full of contradictions, it is also a place where monks sport the latest Nike trainers, where the Dalai Lama's brother struggles with his own inner demons, and where a divided town must choose between protesting the death sentence of a much-loved monk or joining a pelvis-thrusting Tibetan compere and his bevy of beauties at the Miss Tibet beauty pageant.

In this land of exile and political intrigue Vanessa Walker was a journalist in search of a story. She didn't go there looking for love, let alone a husband, and she certainly didn't plan on becoming pregnant. But sometimes karma works in mysterious ways

Tumultuous and funny, insightful and poignant, Mantras and Misdemeanours is a compelling journey to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism.