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Thursday, January 30, 2020

Book Review by Isha Patel of In the Valley of Mist : Kashmir : One Family in a Changing World by Justine Hardy

Book Review of In the valley of mist : Kashmir : one family in a changing world by Justine Hardy

I read this book for Global Studies' book essay. I wanted to learn more about the political side of the conflict in Kashmir even though I believe it is honestly a religious conflict.

The author of the book does a good job of staying unbiased by not telling the story from the perspective of a Muslim or a Hindu. Instead, it tells it from the perspective of the Kashmiri people. I support that because those are the people that are forgotten about in this longlasting conflict. 

The story follows the Dar family as they navigate their everyday life amist the conflict that is tearing everyone apart. It is a memoir and a first hand documentation. It is the author's real life experiences form 1997 to 2008 that she had while visiting Kashmir during this ongoing conflict.

Kishmir is commonly refered to as 'heaven on earth' due to its breathtaking landscape, mesmerizing valleys and surreal snow. Unfortunately, an area that was once peaceful and beautiful is now full of fear and destruction. Hopefully, India and Pakistan realize that they need to put aside their religions and give make Kashmir an independent nation so the Kashmiri people who did not ask to be in this conflict can be free from pain and death.

This book teaches many lessons but one of the most prominent lesson I learned is that patriotism can be dangerous if kept unchecked. 

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know this conflict from the perspective of the innocent citizens of Kashmir. 

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