In the Valley of Mist: Kashmir… by Justine Hardy

In the Valley of Mist: Kashmir: One Family In A Changing World by Justine Hardy

DESCRIPTION: Mohammed Dar and his three brothers were born in a boat on a lake in Kashmir, a place of exquisite beauty that was to become a war zone and nuclear flashpoint. This Himalayan valley of water, mist and mountains was once one of India's greatest tourist draws. In 1989 it exploded into insurgency. Kashmir became a rallying cry for jihadi movements all over the region and Pakistan's backing of the conflict triggered, in part, its own Islamist crisis. Mohammed Dar and his family found themselves living inside a new and foreign world of violence.

Justine Hardy stayed with the Dar family for many years, reporting on the conflict. She tells their story of living through the destruction of their adored homeland. Through their eyes we see the rise of religious fundamentalism and intolerance, the ethnic cleansing of the Hindu population of the valley, and the recruitment of a generation to jihad. And, amid the fighting, families continue to try and educate their children, find work, and protect their physical and mental well-being, while attempting to build some kind of future beyond the annihilation of their old way of life. In The Valley of Mist is an extraordinary story of family survival, at the heart of a conflict within and beyond the Muslim world. 

REVIEW: I regret to say that I can't give this book a rating, having abandoned it after reading the Introduction and first chapter.

If only the writing had measured up to the writing in the book's description!

I've no doubt that the family's story, and the larger story of how the political and military fighting over Kashmir continues to cause strive for the region's people - hence, why began to read this book in the first place. However, poor writing does a story no service, regardless of the value of that story.

I simply can't get past the poor construction and choppy writing. It ruins what should have been an absorbing, compelling narrative. View all my reviews