UNTRANSLATABLE: Emotions are universal but untranslatable

True stories of loss, resilience, and triumph after the tragic seismic shift in Nepal – is a book that needs to be experienced. Life is full of surprises. Life is a quest. In this pursuit, there are ups and there are downs. No matter the circumstances, all we can do as humans is continue with our lives regardless of the ordeals. We win sometimes, and we lose sometimes—but what makes us irrepressible is the fact that we are built to face any setbacks. The result might not always be favorable, but the sole fact that we accept the challenge makes us winners. This book is a story of such an expedition. It is a story of hope, of comebacks, of loss, and of coming to terms with the most powerful of us all— Mother Nature.April 25th, 2015, was the day that Mother Nature decided to show her wrath to the unsuspecting Nepali citizens. It was a day that changed the lives of the people of Nepal. A dark day, where thousands of people lost their lives, the earthquake of April 25th, 2015 is considered to be the most prominent scar on the exquisite Nepali land. In this book, Kishor Panthi shares raw, riveting true stories of people who experienced the seismic terror in different capacities and different settings—fear being the only common feeling between them. Their houses turned to debris, their beloveds’ lives were taken, they were afraid of the unknown, but the quilt of hope nourished their faith. The natural disaster made people realize the evanescent nature of life. Everything is fleeting, but the beauty of life is that it goes on. The author of this book emphasizes the never- ending nature of time, and that it heals even if it hurts.This book is written in spare and evocative vignettes. The specificity of these powerful accounts renders a world that is as unimaginable as it is real and tells the story of people who survived to triumph. The continuous jolts ofthe quakes and the aftershocks made life a nightmare for the Nepalese. They only had one option: to unite and fight the tribulations together. The terrifying tryst with nature leaves them vulnerable, but they must make a decision to risk everything to reclaim their lives. These decisions enable them to form bonds that are stronger than the quakes, ultimately preparing them to face life’s challenges head on. This book has stories that readers will resonate with immediately. The stories might exhaust the readers in the beginning, as they will take them back to those horrific days. However, as the book ends, the same stories will leave readers brimming with hope and motivation to do well.There are so many stories that remain unknown, but the stories in this book will reverberate and speak for those unheard stories. This book by Kishor Panthi is a confrontational book that aims to exhilarate you, fill you in on the lives of the affected, and in doing so, will make sure to act as a ray of hope for the despairing hearts. In the writer’s own words, “Writing this book was a no mean feat.” He was in New York when the first earthquake ruthlessly shattered many Nepali lives. Panthi, ensuring that his family was unaffected, boarded the next flight to Nepal to be of help to those in need. He traveled to the most affected areas as a volunteer. This book is a compilation of the stories of the people he met with during this trip. Panthi compares the citizens of Nepal to a phoenix. By ancient definition, the phoenix was known as a mythical creature of indestructible wonder. In more modern terminology, it describes a posture of unshakeable resolve and determination. If there was ever a time for us to be determined and optimistic, it is now. Says he, “Writing this book was a cathartic experience, not necessarily a pleasant one. The people I met and the stories I heard made the process uneasy, only because their pain was indescribable. But as I penned the stories that I was told, I came face-to-face with a surreal realization of hope being the most powerful embodiment of survivors.” Read more