Nepal, June 28 -- The book begins with the story of two women who were a part of the Maoist Insurgency (1996-2006). First is Samata Pokharel, an upper-caste, educated woman who rose to leadership within the Maoist movement and now holds a political position. The second, Kamala BK, a Dalit woman from a rural area, has faded into obscurity, her revolutionary past forgotten, and her daily routine resumed.

About "revolution"? Kamala's tone is half-mocking. "I am exactly where I was before the war, except for my age.I got married during the war, and I have a kid . . . I learnt to shoot so that I could cut vegetables in the kitchen now?...jaatibaad [casteism] is still very much alive in the society.I wish we had fought more so that we could ha...