Die britische Journalistin und Autorin Justine Hardy befasst sich mit den Folgen von Konflikttraumata, insbesondere in Südasien und der Region Kaschmir. Ihre Werke erforschen ein breites Themenspektrum, von Reisen durch Tibet und Einblicken in den Hindi-Film bis hin zur Realität des orthodoxen Islams und des Krieges. Hardy hat zu zahlreichen führenden Publikationen beigetragen und Themen von internationalen Reisen und gesellschaftlichen Angelegenheiten bis hin zu Buchrezensionen behandelt, wobei sie oft die Suche nach Frieden und die psychische Gesundheitskrise in Kaschmir beleuchtete. Ihre einzigartige Stimme vermittelt ein tiefes Verständnis für komplexe soziokulturelle Landschaften.
Die junge Lila, ihre stumme Mutter und Gracie, eine verwitwete Engländerin, wohnen auf der »Wonder House«, einem Hausboot, das auf dem Naginsee in Kaschmir liegt. Nichts scheint ihr ruhiges und gleichförmiges Leben stören zu können. Da taucht der Journalist Hal auf und zieht auf Drängen von Gracie zu den dreien auf das Boot. Bald entbrennt er in glühender Liebe zu der ebenso schönen wie verletzlichen Lila und bringt nicht nur das prekäre Gleichgewicht zwischen den drei Frauen in Gefahr, sondern auch das Leben seiner Angebeteten …
Mohammed Dar and his three brothers were born in a boat on a lake in Kashmir, a place of exquisite beauty that was to become a war zone and nuclear flashpoint. This Himalayan valley of water, mist and mountains was once one of India's greatest tourist draws. In 1989 it exploded into insurgency. Kashmir became a rallying cry for jihadi movements all over the region and Pakistan's backing of the conflict triggered, in part, its own Islamist crisis. Mohammed Dar and his family found themselves living inside a new and foreign world of violence. Justine Hardy has stayed with the Dar family for many years, reporting on the conflict. She tells their story of living through the destruction of their adored homeland. Through their eyes we see the rise of religious fundamentalism and intolerance, the ethnic cleansing of the Hindu population of the valley, and the recruitment of a generation to jihad. And, amid the fighting, families continue to try and educate their children, find work, and protect their physical and mental well-being, while attempting to build some kind of future beyond the annihilation of their old way of life. In The Valley of Mist is an extraordinary story of family survival, at the heart of a conflict within and beyond the Muslim world.
The narrative explores the concept of "brain silence," a primal response to danger that occurs after the fight or flight instinct, serving as a protective mechanism. The protagonist reflects on his past reading, recalling a specific moment marked by an oil smudge in the margin, which symbolizes the intersection of knowledge and personal experience. This moment highlights the tension between intellectual understanding and visceral reactions to threat.
Mohammed Dar and his family found themselves living inside a new and foreign
world of violence.Justine Hardy has stayed with the Dar family for many years,
reporting on the conflict.
