Against a backdrop of pagodas and enigmatic customs, Lidia De Campos-a mature artist carrying a private burden-tours a Southeast Asian country recently reopened to the world after a long dictatorship with a disparate group of characters; along the way, they all encounter adventures that challenge their assumptions-and Lidia embarks on a love affair with a surprising conclusion. “Brilliant! Sly humor, pathos, love, snappy dialogue, and unforgettable characters in an exotic setting—I was right there with Linda Dahl’s quirky group of upscale travelers as they aired their prickly personalities and petty squabbles while tromping barefoot through Buddhist temples and shrines. Not just an engaging read, An Upside-Down Sky offers a bonus: a clear-eyed view of the volatile politics and ethnic conflicts of a fictional south Asian country that’s a stand-in for Burma.”
—Joan Duncan Oliver, author of Buddhism: An Introduction to the Buddha’s Life, Teachings, and Practices