Seeking Shama
Me, My Dog, and the Road to Inner Peace
Seeking Shama: Me, My Dog, and the Road to Inner Peace is a heartfelt, candid, and inspiring memoir that explores the raw edges of being human, the freedom of the open road, and the journey toward spiritual reconnection.
When Kee Kee Buckley’s career as a Hollywood executive vanishes overnight—just as the love of her life resurfaces with his new wife and family—she’s left with a broken heart, no safety net, and the disorienting ache of a life that didn’t go as planned.
Thank God she had her dog, Yoda.
With nothing left to lose, they hit the road in her Prius, affectionately named Princess Leia, on a five-month journey guided by a faded, decade-old sticky note taped to the dashboard: “I Welcome Change.”
From being adopted by a curandera in Arkansas to falling in and out of love in Texas to living in Iowa’s iconic American Gothic House with Ms. American Pie, Kee Kee’s search for shama—Sanskrit for inner peace—unfolds in magical, messy, and deeply human ways.
Part travelogue, part spiritual journey, Seeking Shama is a reminder that sometimes the road to peace begins where the map ends—and that healing can come in the form of a wagging tail, a soothing hot spring, or the bravery to start again.
"An entertaining, tender, and witty read." — Kirkus Review
​“At its core, Seeking Shama is a story about unraveling, rebuilding, and learning how to redefine success and self-worth when the carefully built structure of life collapses. The book will appeal to anyone who enjoys travel memoirs infused with spiritual searching, from Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love to Cheryl Strayed's Wild. Seeking Shama isn’t just a memoir; it’s an invitation to pause, to breathe, and to consider what it might mean to welcome change in our own lives.” — Los Angeles Book Review​​​
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"Thank God I had my dog," Buckley writes, with disarming warmth, early in this debut—part memoir, part travelogue, and part spiritual journey. One of Buckley's endearing traits, as both writer and person, is her openness. She captures essences in brisk scenes charged with feeling and striking detail. Buckley discovers that Shama comes from within, though that lesson only crystallizes after a long and winding journey that will please readers of intimate travel memoirs." — Booklife Review by Publisher's Weekly
"Buckley has taken her very personal and bracingly intimate affirmation and created something much bigger, profound and universal." —Ernest Thompson, Academy Award-winning screenwriter of On Golden Pond and author of The Book of Maps
"Seeking Shama is more than a road trip; it's a raw, brave, and beautifully told story of falling apart and finding your way back to wholeness. Through grief, heartbreak, and healing, Kee Kee invites us into her search for peace with vulnerability, humor, and so much heart. I laughed, I cried, and I saw pieces of myself on every page." —Kim Goldman, two-time New York Times bestselling author and victims' rights advocate
"Seeking Shama isn't just a story-it's a blueprint for waking up. Kee Kee Buckley ditches the success script, hits the road with her dog, and rebuilds life from the inside out. This book shows you how to turn burnout into breakthrough and heartbreak into horsepower. If you're ready to stop performing and start aligning, Seeking Shama delivers the roadmap." —Dave Asprey, creator of biohacking, New York Times special author
"Seeking Shama is a soulful and sharply honest memoir about losing it all-and finding something even better." —Brad Warner, Zen monk and author of Hardcore Zen and The Other Side of Nothing
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Seeking Shama is a unique blending of memoir and self-help story that will linger in the mind long after it has been finished and set back upon the shelf. Inspirational, motivational, and an inherently fascinating read from start to finish.” — Midwest Book Review
"Kee Kee has given us a beautiful story filled with courage and possibility. Her authentic, intimate writing is a balm to the soul and an inspiration to move us forward to fulfill our potential and trust our inner compass to guide us in our journey to fulfillment." —Agapi Stassinopoulos, author of Speaking with Spirit and Wake Up to the Joy of You
"A delightful, thought-provoking memoir about the adventure of change. This book will surely inspire others to summon curiosity and courage when facing their own crossroads. Thank you, Kee Kee, for bringing us along on your journey." —Dr. Susan Biali, MD, Author of The Resilient Life and Live a Life You Love