The Buddha Sat Right Here: A Family Odyssey Through India and Nepal

The Moes family—Dina, Adam, and their two daughters, 14-year-old Bella and Sophia, who turned 11 years old during the trip—left their life in California and traveled around India and Nepal for eight months, vowing to live like locals whenever possible. The resulting memoir is not simply a retelling of their travels; it also dives deep into spirituality, motherhood, and marriage as Moes struggles to define the role each plays in her life. Jean Ann Douglass narrates with a level, easy tone. Bella and Sophia provide diary entries, and listeners will have to look out for the words “Dear Diary” that flag the girls’ entries, as Douglass does not vary her voice when reading them and there’s no sound effect or musical tone to set them apart. The pacing stays on track as listeners experience eight months of the author and her family’s journey of self-discovery.