Reviewed by Maria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

Jo Carrol's "Hidden Tiger Raging Mountain" is a straightforward account of her journey in the country. The story unfolds in Wiltshire, England, where she resides and then at the brightly-lit Nepal International Airport, upon her arrival. A confessed wanderlust, she leaves behind daughters and grandchildren in England to rediscover the wonders of this exotic country. She brings us with her to the bustling Kathmandu streets, Begnas Lake, Dhampus, Tolka, Landruk, Ghandruk, Pokhara, Lumbini, Bardia National Park, Tansen and Nepalganj. This is her third visit to Nepal and is hosted by an old friend, Tika, and through him, we get a glimpse of the real lives of a Nepalese family. It has been five years since the author saw Tika's wife Shobha, and the journey became a reunion of sorts, between two women from different sides of the world. Nepal, with its regular power outages, insurgency problem, bandh (strike), and political instability, is surely a world away from Wiltshire. Along the way, a cyclone struck and the journey became dangerous. Real danger, however, came when the author had a near brush with a tiger in Bardia National Park. Journeying through the most dangerous road in the world, Siddhartha Highway, on the way back, also proves to be an unforgettable experience.

Through all these, the beauty of Nepal's Annapurna mountain, the mystery of its temples and the hospitality of its people shine through. In the end, Carrol is back in comfortable Wiltshire and has fully realized the challenges that the Nepalese face every day. This realization proved to be a humbling experience. This story can really bring the reader to a journey not only to the tourist attractions of Nepal but also to the lives of its people. Told in a chronological and simple way, it succeeds in painting a picture of the real Nepal. The author relates her encounters with the different Nepalese personalities in such a way that one can get an idea how people live in a country that suffers from political instability for years. We learn, for example, that power is a scarce commodity here and health care is a luxury. Many of the things that we take for granted are precious commodities here. Set in the beauty of the Himalayas, Nepal is indeed a country of contradictions. The book does not go into extremes in describing her journey but it is in its simplicity that the book excels. Without imposing her beliefs and opinions, the author opens our eyes to the need for humility when we travel to countries like Nepal. In this way, a traveler can learn a lot from their journeys. It is no wonder that Jo Carrol cannot stop traveling through the world.