Book review: The nurse who chose Jumla over the world

Radha Paudel's "Jumla: A Nurse's Story," a decade-old English translation of her Madan Puraskar-winning Nepali work, offers a stark look at life in Jumla district during the Nepali Civil War. The book recounts Paudel's experiences leading up to, during, and after the Maoist attack on Khalanga, the district's headquarters, vividly portraying the poverty and misery of its residents.

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there is no lack of nurses in the UK; if she does not go, someone else definitely will. Where there is a lack is in Jumla, and there, no one is willing to go.

One striking anecdote illustrates the harsh conditions: a woman's hands bleed after using a bar of soap, a stark reminder of her skin's unfamiliarity with such basic amenities. Beyond the civil conflict, the book also delves into themes of migration and immigration. Paudel's childhood memories of her father's stories about Jumla ignited her curiosity and sense of purpose.

Despite growing up in poverty herself, Paudel's father emphasized that the people of Jumla were even poorer. After earning degrees in nursing and public health, Paudel faced a choice: join friends who moved to the UK for better opportunities or return to Jumla. She chose Jumla, feeling that the UK had no shortage of nurses, while Jumla desperately needed her.

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Jumla needs her; the United Kingdom does not.

Paudel views her decision not just as a choice but as a moral imperative. She recounts the death of a pregnant woman in her arms shortly after arriving in Jumla, underscoring the life-or-death impact of her presence. The book challenges readers to confront their own duties and the ethical implications of having the ability to help but choosing not to.

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At times, it feels to Paudel that not going to Jumla would almost be immoral. It would be a betrayal of the people there, for whom her services could be and are the difference between life and death.