January 2020. Coronavirus and Wuhan are fast becoming the latest media buzzwords as Louisa Kamal, blissfully unaware of what is to come, returns to her beloved Nepal for two months. It will be December before she leaves.
Separated from an emotionally abusive husband, Louisa is confronted by the prospect of having to start life all over again instead of easing into a comfortable retirement. As the COVID-19 pandemic first commences then concerts its grip on Nepal, Louisa unthinkably finds herself stranded, unable to return home to Thailand. Louisa and her Nepali 'little brother' Arjun-both lost souls in this strange new world of lockdowns, masks and social distancing-gravitate towards each other, finding unexpected solace and fulfillment. Together they face the outward problems of living under the pandemic protocols while gradually revealing their inner lives and selves.
A Rainbow of Chaos, the first in an empowering non-fiction series, will appeal not only to anyone who knows and loves Nepal but also to those who believe in both the power of love and the strength of a woman asserting her own right to find freedom and happiness against all the odds.