Counsel in the Clouds is packed with friends and fraudsters, celebrities, historical events and anecdotes. There are jam sessions with local musicians, intransigent bureaucrats and newspaper debates on fictitious theology. The pioneers of modern Nepal can be found here. So can some of its rogues. Slippery politicians and businessmen are not spared: nor are selfish foreign powers.

Interwoven into this is Neville Sarony's exploration of a talented people and their culture and history. Part memoir, part history, it is a compelling, unvarnished account of a fledgling system of law and a moving portrait of 1960s life. At its core, it is a love story about the tragic Bim and the author's spiritual home - Nepal.