A Lotus Trail

Book excerpt: "I woke, in the nude, surrounded by empty beer bottles and five naked men, with no idea how I got there". After a childhood accident left her permanently disabled, Tara Gardiner spent decades searching for happiness. For 20 years, she backpacked through North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, on a fruitless hunt for meaning. The life and soul of every party, ready for any adventure her damaged knee would permit, she lived life to the full. So why were her fleeting moments of joy marred by illness, hangovers, memory gaps, physical and sexual assault - and shame? Finally, in a desperate attempt to avoid the knee replacement her doctors said was essential, Tara tried a new path. Returning to India after 18 years, she swapped drink, drugs and anonymous sex for yoga, study and Tibetan Buddhism. And as she began to find, inside herself, the contentment she sought, a chance encounter in India's poorest state directed her to her life's purpose. Populated with a cast of colourful characters, A Lotus Trail is the story of one woman's quest for self-discovery. It will take you on an inspiring journey from desperation to transformation, and show you that anything is possible.