Reviewed by Cindy Bowles for Readers' Favorite

What do you get when you mix together a nurse midwife that delivers successful homebirths, a hippie herbalist-acupuncture clinician-Buddhist husband, a teenager rising to the heights of school popularity, and an artistic dyslexic preteen? You get the Adam & Dena Moes Family on a backpacking adventure of a lifetime throughout India, learning what is most important in life! The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal is the true story of an 8-month trek around India, where Dena, Adam, Bella and young Sophia Moes climb to their highest Himalayan peaks of exhilaration and the lowest Kullu valleys of family pain while experiencing the colorful culture and existence in the varied people of India, their crowded communities, sacred cows, and the Buddhist way of life. Dena, Bella, and Sophia finally witness firsthand the powerful draw that Buddhist teachers and teachings bring to their husband and father, Adam, and begin to understand and even accept the wisdom and peace that it carries into their own hectic, modern lives.

In a delightfully descriptive memoir of their family’s experiences, this book gives a vivid insight into the beauty and complexity of India, Buddhist philosophy, and family relationships. It is highly educational in history, ideologies, culture, and even in the resolving of issues and conflict…all within a witty, yet heartwarming tale woven by author Dena Moes. The reader is easily pulled into their adventurous saga while visualizing the eventful struggles and restful realities of their journey. If you have ever thought of traveling to the east, especially to India, this hopeful, marvelous memoir, The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal by Dena Moes, brings the “possibilities” to life for you and is highly recommended!