CUMMINGTON, Mass., Dec. 2, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sometimes, it pays for a woman to fight a man's battle. Just like when Joan of Arc led the resistance to the English invasion of France in the Hundred Years War, an American woman rises up against the Nepalese government to advocate the welfare of the people. Author Paul Ryder Ryan introduces this modern-day Joan of Arc in his romance-historical novel, "Kew, The Nepal Maoist Strain" (now available through 1stBooks Library).
After six years and nearly 5,000 lives lost, the communist "People's War" in the Himalayan Kingdom of Nepal continues. Believing that the conditions in the country are deteriorating, Mary "Kew" Carew joins the movement to initiate political and societal changes and to avenge her husband's death from a bomb blast. Despite her physical deformities -- her face and one eye were damaged in the same blast -- she rises in the Maoist ranks and readily takes the arms to begin her campaign.
In an encounter, Kew captures Michael Donovan, a State Department Human Rights observer. Before she knows it, Kew has fallen deeply in love with the young and irresistible man, but their romance is threatened. Oblivious to an evil plot by a Chinese Maoist, Kew is used as a courier to deliver a newly developed lethal anthrax strain that will annihilate the people of the United States.
Deeply rooted in the history of Nepal, "Kew, The Nepal Maoist Strain" mixes a complex love story and a modern tale of bio-terrorism and revolution. With his extraordinary plot and unpredictable twists, Ryan weaves his story in such a way that the readers will not want to put the book down. Moreover, he effectively describes the setting with his social and political commentaries on Nepal's present condition, adding more color and insights to the narrative.
A writer, journalist and teacher, Paul Ryder Ryan has always been fascinated with Asia -- its countries and people. In fact, it has always been the subject of his books, including his latest, "Kew, the Nepal Maoist Strain." His other works are "The Tiger's Shadow," "Khmer Rouge End Game," "Bangladesh 2000: On the Brink of Civil War" and "China Daily: Between the Lines." He has conducted workshops and taught journalism in Bangladesh, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He has also worked for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, The Boston Glob, and Reuters. A Fulbright scholar and Harvard University graduate, Ryan currently lives in Cummington, Mass.
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