Publication information
First Edition
1996
First SAAP eBook Edition
July 2024
Design
1996
First SAAP eBook Edition
July 2024
Design
About Writer
In Nepal, DURGA POKHREL was a university lecturer, a journalist, and a pro-democracy and human rights activist. Jailed often from 1974 to 1982, she was adopted by Amnesty International as a Prisoner of Conscience. She was forced to flee Nepal in 1983 and came to the United States, where she attended Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government as a Mason Fellow. In addition to receiving a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in education from Harvard, she holds a bachelor’s degree in history and literature, a master’s in modern history, and a law degree.
Born in England, her husband and coauthor, ANTHONY WILLETT, is a specialist in international rural development and conservation, with advanced degrees from Cambridge, Reading, Iowa State, and Harvard universities, including a doctorate in agricultural education. The parents of three boys, Samyog, Shristi, and Tapasya, they live in McLean, Virginia.
Foreword
Many brave individuals and dedicated organizations have kept alive the hope that human beings could someday be afforded the dignity that all men, women, and childen deserve. The author of Shadow over Shangri-la, Durga Pokhrel of Nepal, is one of these heroes. Fortunately for all of us, she survived her dreadful political imprisonment and lived to tell her remarkable story.
I visited Nepal in 1993. It is such a beautiful, peaceful country—an ancient land of majestic mountains and green valleys graced with a gentle people of deep spirituality. It truly is the lengendary Shangri-la.
But a country's surface appearance can be very deceiving. Reading Durga Pokhrel's Shadow over Shangri-la: A Woman's Quest for Freedom, I was struck by how Durga's story parallels my own. I, too, was imprisoned for voicing my beliefs in democracy and human rights in my native country before I was able to escape to the United States. However, when I recently returned to China, I was again jailed. Accounts like mine and Durga's, and countless others around the world, show that the campaign for universal human rights is far from over.
A great many victims of human rights abuses suffer alone, and survivors are rarely able to tell their stories in such an eloquent way as Shadow over Shangri-la. As much as any warrior, Durga proves herself a hero. She endured humiliating torment, but still helped her fellow inmates. She has not wavered in her convictions and continues to voice her opinions (and prudent advice) about the political situation in Nepal.
Compared to the past thirty years, Nepal's human rights situation today is much improved, thanks largely to courageous leaders like Durga Pokhrel. I highly recommend her inspirational book. Shadow over Shangri-la is unique: an uplifting account of human and women's rights, an adventure tale, and a heart-warming love story. As someone who has been deeply concerned about human rights issues, I believe that the world is better today because of the sacrifices Ms. Pokhrel was willing to make. Everyone who cares about freedom should be interested in her story.
HONGDA HARRY WU
1996
1996
About The Book
“An inspiring memoir of a Nepalese political prisoner who survived months of incarceration... and went on to enjoy a fairy-tale romance and marriage.... Memorable for Pokhrel’s idealism, humanity, and unflagging determination to live.”
“Durga’s book provides impelling support for the revival of the true feminine energy. The revival of this spiritual power is crucial to our planet.”
“Shadow over Shangri-la is unique: an uplifting account of human and women’s rights, an adventure tale, and a heart-warming love story.... Everyone who cares about freedom should be interested in [Durga Pokhrel’s] story.”
“Shadow over Shangri-la is at once a political odyssey, a gripping prison memoir, and an important contribution to women’s rights and human rights literature. The scenes from Central Women’s Prison in Nepal make for riveting reading.”
From Book’s Back Cover.
—Kirkus Reviews
“Durga’s book provides impelling support for the revival of the true feminine energy. The revival of this spiritual power is crucial to our planet.”
—Deepak Chopra
Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
Author of The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
“Shadow over Shangri-la is unique: an uplifting account of human and women’s rights, an adventure tale, and a heart-warming love story.... Everyone who cares about freedom should be interested in [Durga Pokhrel’s] story.”
—Human Rights Activist Harry Wu
From the Foreword
From the Foreword
“Shadow over Shangri-la is at once a political odyssey, a gripping prison memoir, and an important contribution to women’s rights and human rights literature. The scenes from Central Women’s Prison in Nepal make for riveting reading.”
—Sidney Jones
Executive Director, Human Rights Watch/Asia
Executive Director, Human Rights Watch/Asia
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