In The Shadow of Everest, Catherine Durand works in exotic Nepal, home of the iconic Mount Everest and the living goddess Kumari, to bring 21st century human rights principles to 19th century Nepal. In the midst of a civil war between Maoist rebels and the government, Catherine struggles to develop programs to educate Nepali women about their rights under the Nepal Constitution and Nepali laws, to enforce Nepali laws that protect children, and to stop the trafficking of women and children. She is told she is not meeting the project's goals and, unless there is improvement, she will be replaced. To save her job, she travels to Maoist villages to gather information to use in designing programs she thinks will meet project goals and save her job. While traveling between villages, three renegade Maoists take her hostage, and she is threated with sexual assault. Rescued, she continues her travels and is interviewing women in a village when the Nepal Army shells the village. Catherine escapes to the mountains, and after spending a night in a hut without food or heat, finds a trail to a safe village and arranges her return to Kathmandu.
In The Shadow of Everest, Catherine Durand works in exotic Nepal, home of the iconic Mount Everest and the living goddess Kumari, to bring 21st century human rights principles to 19th century Nepal. In the midst of a civil war between Maoist rebels and the government, Catherine struggles to develop programs to educate Nepali women about their rights under the Nepal Constitution and Nepali laws, to enforce Nepali laws that protect children, and to stop the trafficking of women and children. She is told she is not meeting the project's goals and, unless there is improvement, she will be replaced. To save her job, she travels to Maoist villages to gather information to use in designing programs she thinks will meet project goals and save her job. While traveling between villages, three renegade Maoists take her hostage, and she is threated with sexual assault. Rescued, she continues her travels and is interviewing women in a village when the Nepal Army shells the village. Catherine escapes to the mountains, and after spending a night in a hut without food or heat, finds a trail to a safe village and arranges her return to Kathmandu.
