The story of a well-connected, wealthy woman from the West whose devotion to a spiritual leader from the East transformed her life into one of selfless service to humanity

The Life of Laura Barney traces the journey of Laura Barney from her pampered childhood to her life as a feminist, global-thinker and peace-builder who was twice decorated by the French Legion of Honor.

Born in Ohio, in 1879 to Alice Pike, artist and philanthropist, and Albert Clifford Barney, a wealthy industrialist, Laura lived in two different worlds: one her wealthy family, the other her spiritual family. Her privileged family mingled with the elite social and artistic circles of Washington, D.C.; New York; Bar Harbor, Maine; and later Paris. Her older sister, Natalie, became a well-known poet, writer and literary Parisian salon hostess. Laura had a very different world of her own.

Having an inquisitive mind searching for spiritual awakenings, as a young woman Laura learned about the teachings of an eastern spiritual leader and traveled to 'Akk