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The 1950s were a transformative period in Nepal’s history, marked by significant changes both domestically and internationally. The end of the 104-year Rana autocracy ushered in a democratic era. Following the restoration of democracy in 1950, successive governments began implementing policy changes aimed at reshaping various facets of society.

Internationally, this decade was characterized by geopolitical shifts. India had recently gained independence, Pakistan emerged as a new state, and China asserted control over Tibet, which shares Nepal’s northern border. The rise of the Communist Party in China further altered the region’s dynamics. During this time, Nepal signed the Peace and Friendship Treaty 1950 with India, establishing a foundational framework for bilateral relations that remains influential today. As Nepal’s importance grew for both India and China, it also attracted attention from Western powers, particularly the United States. Breaking away from its prolonged isolation, Nepal embraced an open-door policy, receiving reciprocal interest from major global actors.

Domestically, Nepal faced numerous challenges. The absence of established institutions and policies essential for democratic governance hindered progress. Political parties were in their infancy, lacking the experience necessary to manage the aspirations of a transitioning society. To address the needs of the people, Nepal began dismantling its feudal policies and institutions, laying the groundwork for social, economic, and structural reforms.

Despite the abundance of literature on Nepal’s modern political history, much of the existing research tends to focus on prominent events, individuals, and familiar narratives. A new publication, Nepal in the Long 1950s, by Martin Chautari—a Kathmandu-based think tank—offers a fresh perspective on this critical period. Edited by Pratyoush Onta, Lokranjan Parajuli, and Mark Liechty, the book moves beyond the conventional focus on political milestones, delving into nuanced social and cultural dimensions that provide a broader understanding of the era.

The editors frame their exploration of the “Long 1950s” within the theoretical lens of French historian Fernand Braudel, who argued that history is shaped by enduring structural forces rather than discrete events or individuals. By situating Nepal’s transitions within broader regional and global contexts, the book sheds light on how internal developments were influenced by external dynamics and vice versa.

The ten chapters in Nepal in the Long 1950s examine diverse aspects of the decade’s transformation. For instance, Prawash Gautam’s chapter explores the rise of Kathmandu tea shops as public spheres, illustrating how these spaces fostered public opinion and supported pro-democracy movements during the decline of the Rana regime. Bandana Gyawali examines the ideological shift from “progress” to “development” in state policies, reflecting broader societal transformations. Peter Gill provides an in-depth analysis of land reform debates, arguing that legislative efforts were not inevitable outcomes of the 1950 revolution but the result of dynamic political processes involving a range of actors.

In another chapter, Onta investigates the short-lived Nepal Sanskritik Parishad, presenting it as part of a utopian cultural revival project in post-Rana Nepal. Sharad Ghimire discusses the 1954 floods, emphasizing how the disaster legitimized the state’s bureaucratic expansion and foreign aid initiatives, particularly in Chitwan’s Rapti Valley. Parajuli examines the founding of Tribhuvan University, analyzing the interplay of internal and external forces in shaping Nepal’s oldest and largest academic institution.

The second section of the book, titled “The World in Nepal,” shifts focus to the influence of foreign specialists, institutions, ideologies, and tourism on Nepal during this transformative decade. These chapters illustrate how global forces interacted with local contexts to reshape the nation’s development trajectory.

By combining previously published works with new contributions, Nepal in the Long 1950s offers an interdisciplinary approach to understanding this pivotal decade. It moves beyond conventional political history to provide fresh insights into the social, cultural, and geopolitical dimensions of mid-20th-century Nepal. This compilation is a significant addition to the study of Nepal’s modern history, offering readers a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a transformative period.

Ruth Reichl has written nine books including ‘The Paris Novel’ and edited many others like ‘History in a Glass’ and ‘Endless Feasts’. Most of her books revolve around food and culture that celebrate food. The cover of The Paris Novel has Nigella Lawson, English food writer and television cook, calling it ‘nothing less than absolute enchantment’.

I was surprised I had never come across Reichl’s works or even heard of her. I read the blurb of The Paris Novel and the first few pages at the bookshop and decided to buy it. It seemed like a simple story filled with mentions of food, books, and life in Paris. It’s also not a thick book so I thought I would breeze through it in a couple of days.

Stella St. Vincent is a copy editor at a publishing house and she likes her structured life. Then she receives a mysterious note from her late mother telling her to go to Paris. Her mother, who Stella never had a loving relationship with, has instructed her attorney, and perhaps her lover at one point, to buy a one way plane ticket to Paris for Stella and convert the remaining money in her account to traveller’s checks.

When Stella’s boss finds her asleep at the office she tells her to take an extended leave. She promises Stella that her job will be waiting for her when she gets back. Left with no choice, Stella finds herself alone in Paris. She doesn’t have friends there and is a little lost and overwhelmed. Then she meets Jules, an octogenarian who collects art and sees something in Stella that makes him take her under his wing. He introduces her to a side of Paris (and life) that she has never seen before.

The Paris Novel is rich in imagery and full of Parisian vibes. The plot is predictable and cliched. Stella, initially a shy and insecure American woman, turns into a confident go-getter with a flamboyant attitude by the end of the book and you see it coming the moment she lands in Paris. The book could also remind you of the many coming-of-age novels you have read. But be warned, there’s a familiarity to it that might bore you. It’s like a fictional version of Elizabeth Gilbert’s ‘Eat, Pray, Love’—which is basically one woman’s quest of finding herself.

The writing, with all the references to French culture and cuisine, can also confuse you. It’s a novel that never picks up. Unlike what I initially thought, I couldn’t finish the book in a day or two. I don’t necessarily mean that in a bad way. I had to take it slow as I was unfamiliar to the French lifestyle beyond what I’ve seen on the popular show ‘Emily in Paris’ on Netflix.

Whether or not you enjoy the novel depends on what kind of a read you are looking for. If you want an all vibes not much plot book, then this is for you. But if you are looking to follow a storyline, there isn’t much here. A friend who has read Reichl’s other works as well as The Paris Novel says the latter isn’t her best work and that I shouldn’t judge her based on it. She has recommended ‘Cheer Me Up with Apples’ and ‘Tender at the Bone’. Despite not being great, The Paris Novel, with its lush descriptions of food and wine, has whetted my appetite for more and I’m actually willing to give her another chance. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195430688-the-paris-novel 

The Paris Novel

Ruth Reichl

Published: 2024

Publisher: Magpie Books

Pages: 272, Paperback

Having read two out of three of Bollywood Actor Twinkle Khanna’s books—‘Mrs Funnybones’ and ‘Pyjamas are Forgiving’ and not having liked them very much, I was hesitant to read ‘Welcome to Paradise’, a collection of short stories published in 2023. I hadn’t read the one which came before that which was ‘The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad’ as I was convinced it wouldn’t be a good read.

Truth be told, I picked up Welcome to Paradise because it was on discount. The book was available at half price at Bookverse in Civil Mall, Kathmandu. “Why not? It’s a book of short stories and I can read one or two and give it to someone else to read if I don’t like it,” I thought to myself. But the first story ‘The Man from the Garage’ about a family who can’t decide if they want to cremate or bury their matriarch was highly nuanced and insightful. The characters felt like people I would bump into on the streets or at the temple. I was surprised by the fact that Khanna’s writing also seems to have improved a lot.

So, I kept reading. The stories that followed, and there are four more, were all snippets of lives that felt very real and addressed complex issues in a light-hearted manner. All the stories have women protagonists and are about middle-class life in Mumbai, India. The stories prove that Khanna is deeply observant as she has picked up a lot of tiny details that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. The stories are about loneliness, grief, and heartbreak and validate many of your emotions.

‘Let’s Pretend’, the second story in the collection, had me rooting for Amita as she pretends to be her aunt while corresponding with a man over email. ‘Jelly Sweets’, the story that comes at the very end, made me teary-eyed. It’s about how a mother copes with the loss of her son. The titular story ‘Welcome to Paradise’ was one that felt most real. What happens in Garima’s life could happen in anyone’s life. The story made me realize that sometimes experiences lend perspectives that don’t come from hearing or seeing other people’s stories and lives.

But my favorite one is ‘Nearly Departed’ about a woman named Madhura Desai, an 86-year-old retired teacher who wants to be able to end her life on her terms. She writes to the chief justice to seek permission for euthanasia as she suffers from Parkinson’s and doesn’t want to be dependent on anyone later in life. Her appeal goes viral and she gets a lot of media attention and requests for interviews, etc. I laughed, I got all choked up, and I reread it when I was done. I even asked a few friends to read this one, if not the rest of the stories in the collection, and they all loved it. They thought it was a fresh take on aging and how we all wish to be in control of our lives.

In the end, I didn’t give the book to anyone. It’s sitting on my bookshelf with story collections I have enjoyed in the past like ‘Her Body and Other Parties’ by Carmen Maria Machado and ‘The Lives of Strangers’ by Chitra Divakaruni among others. I have a feeling I might want to revisit the stories sometime in the future. And I will definitely be reading the next book Khanna writes and this time it won’t even need to be on discount. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/200237485-welcome-to-paradise  

Welcome to Paradise

Twinkle Khanna

Published: 2023

Publisher: Juggernaut Books

Pages: 213, Paperback

Emma lives with her husband Leo and their daughter Ruby. She loves them and she’s happy. But everything her family knows about her is a lie. Even her name is fake. She can never tell them about her past. She knows she will lose them if she does as Leo won’t be able to deal with the betrayal, not after being betrayed by his parents. He’s never forgiven them for it.

But Leo is an obituary writer and Emma is a well-known marine biologist. When she is diagnosed with cancer, Leo tries to cope with it by reading and writing about her life. His editor also asks him to write a stock for Emma: Most papers write obituaries for famous people well in advance, and especially so if they are suffering from any illness. Leo agrees because he’s already started working on one and also because he thinks no one knows her like he does.

However, he stumbles upon some papers that don’t match with what she’s told him and it opens a can of worms. Leo starts questioning what he’s been told and Emma’s past and starts asking around as well. Soon, he finds out things that he doesn’t know about her, realizing that the woman he loves doesn’t really exist. Emma will need to prove to Leo that she is the woman he always thought she was but for that she has to come clean about her past.

‘The Love of My Life’ was unlike anything I had ever read. It’s not a typical thriller but it keeps you on the edge. It’s gripping and heartbreaking at the same time. Rosie Walsh’s first book, ‘The Man Who Didn’t Call’ was a romance, suspense novel that was an instant bestseller when it came out. The novel’s theme was grief and it explored it in a subtle way that made you think. In The Love of My Life the theme is relationships and its complexities and again Walsh has done a brilliant job in exploring its nuances.

The story, like in The Man Who Didn’t Call, is told from two different perspectives. It keeps the narrative interesting by building the suspense gradually. Also, seeing things from two different viewpoints keeps your brain ticking. The only issue I had with the book was that while the story is full of twists and turns, it reads like a slow-burn family drama at times and less like a thriller. But all in all, I absolutely loved the story. The plot, I thought, was ingenious. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for something different to read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58492104-the-love-of-my-life  

The Love of My Life

Rosie Walsh

Published: 2022

Publisher: Pan Books

Pages: 358, Paperback