Her Majesty Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck， Queen Mother of Bhutan，was born in 1955 and educated in Darjeeling district of West Bengal，India. Her previous book， Of Rainbows and Clouds， A Family History， was published in 1999. She is Patron of the Mountain Echoes Literature Festival，and heads the Tarayana Foundation which provides medical， educational and social support to people living in the most remote areas of Bhutan.

　　The outside world's reactions to Bhutan tend to swing between two extremes-it is perceived either as a paradise on earth or as a country completely isolated from the rest of the world and trapped in a time warp. Neither image is true. But it is true that Bhutan is like no other place in the world. Its spectacular natural beauty and pristine environment， its fabulous architecture and living spiritual culture， and its wise king whose unique philosophy of governance measures the country's progress and development not by its gross domestic product （GDP） but its gross national happiness （GNH）-this is the stuff of which legends， and romantic fiights of fancy， are born.

Author's Note
Introduction
The Land and the People
History
The Monarchy
Modern Bhutan
A Word about This Book

PART ONE： GROWING UP WITH BHUTAN
CHAPTER 1： The Village on Treasure Hill
CHAPTER 2： Annual Rites and Festivals
CHAPTER 3： Horseback Journeys
CHAPTER 4： A House is Consecrated

PART TWO： THE WAY WE ARE
CHAPTER 5： Sacred Landscapes
CHAPTER 6： The Hot Springs of Dunmang
CHAPTER 7： I Have Been Here Before'
CHAPTER 8： Dzongs and Chortens

PART THREE： PEOPLE AND PLACES
CHAPTER 9： Pilgrimage in Paro
CHAPTER 10： Hidden Paradise
CHAPTER 11： La Ya！
CHAPTER 12： Heavenly Lakes
CHAPTER 13： The Valleys of the Brokpas
CHAPTER 14： Bulls with Blazing Horns and Other Vignettes
Epilogue