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The Girl from Kathmandu: Twelve Dead Men and a Woman's Quest for Justice
New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice
The shocking story of the massacre of a group of Nepalese men working as Defense contractors for the United States Government during the Iraq War, and the widow who dedicated her life to finding justice for her husband and the other victims—a riveting tale of courageous heroes, corporate war profiteers, international business, exploitation, trafficking, and human rights in the age of global capitalism that reveals how modern power truly works.
In August of 2004, twelve men left their village in Nepal for jobs at a five-star luxury hotel in Amman, Jordan. They had no idea that they had actually been hired for sub-contract work on an American military base in Iraq. But fate took an even darker turn when the dozen men were kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists. Their gruesome deaths were captured in one of the first graphic execution videos disseminated on the web—the largest massacre of contractors during the war. Compounding the tragedy, their deaths received little notice.
Why were these men, from a remote country far removed from the war, in Iraq? How had they gotten there? Who were they working for? Consumed by these questions, award-winning investigative journalist Cam Simpson embarked on a journey to find answers, a decade-long odyssey that would uncover a web of evil spanning the globe—and trigger a chain of events involving one brave young widow, three indefatigable human rights lawyers, and a formidable multinational corporation with deep governmental ties.
A heart-rending, page-turning narrative that moves from the Himalayas to the Middle East to Houston and culminates in an epic court battle, The Girl from Kathmandu is a story of death and life—of the war in Iraq, the killings of the twelve Nepalese, a journalist determined to uncover the truth, and a trio of human rights lawyers dedicated to finding justice. At its heart is one unforgettable young woman, Kamala Magar, who found the courage to face the influential men who sent her husband to his death—a model of strength hope, bravery, and an unbreakable spirit who reminds us of the power we all have to make a difference.
The shocking story of the massacre of a group of Nepalese men working as Defense contractors for the United States Government during the Iraq War, and the widow who dedicated her life to finding justice for her husband and the other victims—a riveting tale of courageous heroes, corporate war profiteers, international business, exploitation, trafficking, and human rights in the age of global capitalism that reveals how modern power truly works.
In August of 2004, twelve men left their village in Nepal for jobs at a five-star luxury hotel in Amman, Jordan. They had no idea that they had actually been hired for sub-contract work on an American military base in Iraq. But fate took an even darker turn when the dozen men were kidnapped and murdered by Islamic extremists. Their gruesome deaths were captured in one of the first graphic execution videos disseminated on the web—the largest massacre of contractors during the war. Compounding the tragedy, their deaths received little notice.
Why were these men, from a remote country far removed from the war, in Iraq? How had they gotten there? Who were they working for? Consumed by these questions, award-winning investigative journalist Cam Simpson embarked on a journey to find answers, a decade-long odyssey that would uncover a web of evil spanning the globe—and trigger a chain of events involving one brave young widow, three indefatigable human rights lawyers, and a formidable multinational corporation with deep governmental ties.
A heart-rending, page-turning narrative that moves from the Himalayas to the Middle East to Houston and culminates in an epic court battle, The Girl from Kathmandu is a story of death and life—of the war in Iraq, the killings of the twelve Nepalese, a journalist determined to uncover the truth, and a trio of human rights lawyers dedicated to finding justice. At its heart is one unforgettable young woman, Kamala Magar, who found the courage to face the influential men who sent her husband to his death—a model of strength hope, bravery, and an unbreakable spirit who reminds us of the power we all have to make a difference.
405 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 17, 2018
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1121 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
August 14, 2019
In 2004, a dozen men from Nepal were captured by Taliban forces while being transported to work on a U.S. military base in Iraq. Their execution was filmed and posted on-line. This book recounts the investigation by human rights journalists which revealed that these men were victims of human trafficking in the employ of KBR Halliburton. It recounts the tireless efforts of human rights lawyers to try to get KBR Halliburton to take legal responsibility for trafficking humans and to compensate the families of these men. Parallel to the story of lawyers and investigators is the story of one of the young widows who fought to re-make her life after this tragedy and to fight for justice. Maybe because I am aware of global human trafficking, the journey of these poor, uneducated men from job recruiter with grand promises to indentured servitude and physical intimidation did not surprise me. I was far more enraged by the U.S. laws that make it easy for large corporations to violate human rights with impunity and to avoid all responsibility while lining the pockets of shareholders and executives with the profits of their cheap labor.
April 23, 2018
This is an important book for a few reasons. First, it shows how for corporations, money is God; some will do anything for profit- including using what amounts to slavery to do the work so they can get as large a profit as possible. KLM, the former subsidiary of Halliburton is one such corporation. When twelve men from Kathmandu were executed on video during the Iraq War, it occurred as they were on route to an American base where they were to be forced to work despite the fact that they had taken out huge mortgages on their farms in order to buy jobs that were supposed to be at a 5 star hotel in Ammon where they would make enough money to pay back the mortgages in a few years and have enough left over to escape the poverty that had been a constant in their lives since birth. Their passports were seized by the agents of the company that had employed them and then told them they would be working in Iraq and their pay would be a fraction of what they had contracted for. They were kidnapped by terrorists who executed them. The kidnapping took place on a road known to be highly dangerous.
Making the situation worse for the widows and children of the men, customs in Kathmandu demand that all widows are to be shunned; that they are to be treated very badly, some are even thrown out on the street. One of the widows, after having a very good relationship with her in-laws while her husband was alive was suddenly treated like a pariah and even though the Kathmandu government gave a small compensation to the families effected, Kamala, one of the widows was given nothing. She took her daughter and left her inlaws house, eventually moving into a school that offered refuge for her and her daughter and taught her to sew. All the while, an American journalist picked up the story and began an investigation and before long a law suit against KLM that took nearly twelve years due to the tactics used by the KLM lawyers who did everything in their power to prevent the case going to court. In the end, KLM was aided by the right wing Supreme Court which denied that American companies are liable for human trafficking if it isn't done in this country.
This book is important because it demonstrates how low SCOTUS has sunk and how you can get justice in this country only if you have enough money to pay for it. That said, it also demonstrates that there are still high-minded lawyers willing to dedicate themselves fully to work for justice.
This is a very readable book meticulously researched. The author followed this story for years and did much of the work in finding the families of the victims and informing them of their rights-something no one else had bothered to do.
Making the situation worse for the widows and children of the men, customs in Kathmandu demand that all widows are to be shunned; that they are to be treated very badly, some are even thrown out on the street. One of the widows, after having a very good relationship with her in-laws while her husband was alive was suddenly treated like a pariah and even though the Kathmandu government gave a small compensation to the families effected, Kamala, one of the widows was given nothing. She took her daughter and left her inlaws house, eventually moving into a school that offered refuge for her and her daughter and taught her to sew. All the while, an American journalist picked up the story and began an investigation and before long a law suit against KLM that took nearly twelve years due to the tactics used by the KLM lawyers who did everything in their power to prevent the case going to court. In the end, KLM was aided by the right wing Supreme Court which denied that American companies are liable for human trafficking if it isn't done in this country.
This book is important because it demonstrates how low SCOTUS has sunk and how you can get justice in this country only if you have enough money to pay for it. That said, it also demonstrates that there are still high-minded lawyers willing to dedicate themselves fully to work for justice.
This is a very readable book meticulously researched. The author followed this story for years and did much of the work in finding the families of the victims and informing them of their rights-something no one else had bothered to do.
June 2, 2018
Must read for human rights lawyers, particularly for those working in anti-trafficking issues/migration/supply chain/human rights litigation. Also, a fascinating read for anyone interested in a non-fiction.
September 9, 2025
Not sure how one even begins to review a book of this calibre but here goes nothing.
In 2004, twelve men from Nepal were promised jobs at a Hotel in Jordan. Along the way, they were intercepted and taken to Iraq against their will, to work menial jobs at a US Military Base instead. En route to the base, the dozen men were kidnapped by terrorists, slain, their deaths filmed and posted online. And so began a decade-long search for answers, accountability and justice.
I was afraid this book would be a mess of jargons and technical talk that I wouldn't understand but wow, what a truly exceptional read. Not only is this book a careful dissection of the US Military's complicity in enabling transnational human trafficking, but also - and more importantly, - a poignant window into the lives of those affected by the loss of a loved one.
In their mistreatment of "Third Country Nationals," the US and their Middle Eastern counterparts have continually proven that they view people from the Global South as nothing more than collateral damage, sub-human. So reading through this, the fact that one of my own country's biggest exports is manpower, (almost 12 lakh workers sent abroad in 2024 alone) and that those twelve men could have easily been Bangladeshi, was not lost on me.
Cam Simpson writes honestly, presenting facts while preserving the dignity of the twelve men and their families in a manner that is both gut-wrenching and hopeful. There is a line near the end of the book that reads, "Foreign migrants tend to be a brave and self-selecting bunch, choosing to leave loved ones for unknown lands with the sole intention of improving life for their families. Many often make the best of even the worst abuses." And I don't think I've been able to stop thinking about that. Give this a read.
In 2004, twelve men from Nepal were promised jobs at a Hotel in Jordan. Along the way, they were intercepted and taken to Iraq against their will, to work menial jobs at a US Military Base instead. En route to the base, the dozen men were kidnapped by terrorists, slain, their deaths filmed and posted online. And so began a decade-long search for answers, accountability and justice.
I was afraid this book would be a mess of jargons and technical talk that I wouldn't understand but wow, what a truly exceptional read. Not only is this book a careful dissection of the US Military's complicity in enabling transnational human trafficking, but also - and more importantly, - a poignant window into the lives of those affected by the loss of a loved one.
In their mistreatment of "Third Country Nationals," the US and their Middle Eastern counterparts have continually proven that they view people from the Global South as nothing more than collateral damage, sub-human. So reading through this, the fact that one of my own country's biggest exports is manpower, (almost 12 lakh workers sent abroad in 2024 alone) and that those twelve men could have easily been Bangladeshi, was not lost on me.
Cam Simpson writes honestly, presenting facts while preserving the dignity of the twelve men and their families in a manner that is both gut-wrenching and hopeful. There is a line near the end of the book that reads, "Foreign migrants tend to be a brave and self-selecting bunch, choosing to leave loved ones for unknown lands with the sole intention of improving life for their families. Many often make the best of even the worst abuses." And I don't think I've been able to stop thinking about that. Give this a read.
August 15, 2022
4.5 rounded down to 4.
A brilliant coverage of the human rights violations caused by US military contractors and their associates during the Iraq war and how they tried to quash any allegations against them. Sad but eye-opening.
A brilliant coverage of the human rights violations caused by US military contractors and their associates during the Iraq war and how they tried to quash any allegations against them. Sad but eye-opening.
March 25, 2018
I would like to thank Cam Simpson and the publisher for the chance to read this book.
This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It connected a lot of the dots between facts I knew or was aware of and put them into global context and a bigger picture.
It sets the platform for a conversation we as a society need to have both nationally and globally. Do we value human life more than the needs/demands of commerce? If the answer to that question is yes, then we need to take action and actually end human trafficking. The courts are one way to take action and that process and the outcome of that process are described in the book. It appears to have been a failure in the case for justice.
This is a human made problem and very solvable. We are not challenged by nature or physical science as we are in cancer or space exploration, respectively. We just have to decide what it is we value and act accordingly.
To me this read as a horrific, real-life Law & Order episode. It was riveting, eye-opening, depressing, and showed the complexities of the this problem. It was a page turner.
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway and leave an unbiased.
This is one of the best non-fiction books I have ever read. It connected a lot of the dots between facts I knew or was aware of and put them into global context and a bigger picture.
It sets the platform for a conversation we as a society need to have both nationally and globally. Do we value human life more than the needs/demands of commerce? If the answer to that question is yes, then we need to take action and actually end human trafficking. The courts are one way to take action and that process and the outcome of that process are described in the book. It appears to have been a failure in the case for justice.
This is a human made problem and very solvable. We are not challenged by nature or physical science as we are in cancer or space exploration, respectively. We just have to decide what it is we value and act accordingly.
To me this read as a horrific, real-life Law & Order episode. It was riveting, eye-opening, depressing, and showed the complexities of the this problem. It was a page turner.
I won this book in a GoodReads giveaway and leave an unbiased.
January 25, 2021
"Ms. Magar," Sarles began, addressing Kamala, "are you seeking any money from KBR and Daoud in this case?"
Kamala gently swiveled in the leather chair and took a long moment to consider her answer, before slightly rising her head, looking across the table, and saying quietly, "I need justice."
"Out of this case, the most important thing that I need is justice, and if I get justice, that's enough," Kamala said.
In August 2004, twelve Nepali men were kidnaped on the notorious Highway Through Hell in Iraq by Islamic extremists. As little as ten days later their gruesome deaths were captured in one of the first graphic execution videos disseminated on the internet. A statement on the website signed "Ansar al-Sunna Army" vowed to keep fighting the Americans in Iraq. The group also threatened anyone else working with US forces there, saying executions would befall "every agent, traitor and spy.
"And while death in Iraq was routine, everything else von Fremd said to Peter Jennings made little sense. Nepali men? Nepal was one of the remotest lands in the world, and it wasn't a member of the Coalition of the Willing. Yet these men- these "construction workers," who had probably barely ever seen a paved road let alone ridden in a car before they left Nepal for the Middle East, men who quite likely never plugged anything into a wall socket or pulled open a refrigerator door or turned the handles on a faucet- were the victims of the deadliest such massacre in Iraq? How on earth had they gotten there, from mud-floored homes and villages without roads- and then four thousand miles away, across heavily guarded borders, and into a fortified American war zone? Who had brought them? What were they doing there? What possible vital skill set could a dozen farm boys from the foothill of the Himalayas have held for the American government?"
In this book Cam Simpson reveals exactly how those twelve Nepali men ended up dead in Iraq by the hands of extremists. He smokes out the sophisticated globalized business of human tracking for forced and coerced labor- AKA the modern-day equivalent of slavery, and how the American Multinational Corporation KBR (Halliburton subsidiary) unprecedented profiteering from the privatization of warfare directly resulted in the murder of these men. In addition to exposing the American Government's involvement in the abhorrent cheap human labor trade, Simpson investigates the significant affect the death of those twelve men had on their families and the drawn-out David-versus-Goliath fight of the human rights lawyers dedicated to finding justice.
It's a meticulously researched book about important issues. I'd recommend it for everyone.
Kamala gently swiveled in the leather chair and took a long moment to consider her answer, before slightly rising her head, looking across the table, and saying quietly, "I need justice."
"Out of this case, the most important thing that I need is justice, and if I get justice, that's enough," Kamala said.
In August 2004, twelve Nepali men were kidnaped on the notorious Highway Through Hell in Iraq by Islamic extremists. As little as ten days later their gruesome deaths were captured in one of the first graphic execution videos disseminated on the internet. A statement on the website signed "Ansar al-Sunna Army" vowed to keep fighting the Americans in Iraq. The group also threatened anyone else working with US forces there, saying executions would befall "every agent, traitor and spy.
"And while death in Iraq was routine, everything else von Fremd said to Peter Jennings made little sense. Nepali men? Nepal was one of the remotest lands in the world, and it wasn't a member of the Coalition of the Willing. Yet these men- these "construction workers," who had probably barely ever seen a paved road let alone ridden in a car before they left Nepal for the Middle East, men who quite likely never plugged anything into a wall socket or pulled open a refrigerator door or turned the handles on a faucet- were the victims of the deadliest such massacre in Iraq? How on earth had they gotten there, from mud-floored homes and villages without roads- and then four thousand miles away, across heavily guarded borders, and into a fortified American war zone? Who had brought them? What were they doing there? What possible vital skill set could a dozen farm boys from the foothill of the Himalayas have held for the American government?"
In this book Cam Simpson reveals exactly how those twelve Nepali men ended up dead in Iraq by the hands of extremists. He smokes out the sophisticated globalized business of human tracking for forced and coerced labor- AKA the modern-day equivalent of slavery, and how the American Multinational Corporation KBR (Halliburton subsidiary) unprecedented profiteering from the privatization of warfare directly resulted in the murder of these men. In addition to exposing the American Government's involvement in the abhorrent cheap human labor trade, Simpson investigates the significant affect the death of those twelve men had on their families and the drawn-out David-versus-Goliath fight of the human rights lawyers dedicated to finding justice.
It's a meticulously researched book about important issues. I'd recommend it for everyone.
September 26, 2018
I was drawn to this book because it was about the incident that stunned the entire Nation of Nepal: the massacre of the12 Nepalese migrant workers in Iraq in 2004. As I expected, the book also gave a brief exposure to the socioeconomics of Nepal, in particular, the struggle of young widow such as Kamala. This book, however, is more interesting for its coverage of the struggle between social justice and corporate profit in America. It shows an ugly side of wars: youths from the third world countries are exploited in the war they have nothing to do with. It exposes the consequence of privatization of war; private companies like KBR puts profit above everything else. The book also shows the face of modern-day slavery and human trafficking and the difficulties of bringing the case against those responsible in the court of law.
June 1, 2018
“The Girl From Kathmandu” is a gut-wrenching story, and yet an uplifting one, too. It’s about the horrors of human trafficking. Worse yet, it’s about the U.S. role in the human supply chain supporting the early years of the Iraq War.
However, within this horror we learn of an amazingly resilient woman, Kamala, and her baby daughter, Kritika. Her strength and how she is able to overcome poverty, injustice and even an earthquake, makes this a story an inspiration to all who read it.
Kamala is not the only heroine in this real-life lesson. The attorneys who represented her against all odds and deep-pocketed, multinational corporations, women such as Agnieszka Fryszman, are heroes, as well.
Then we have lawyers such as Mark Lowes and Billy Donley. I’m glad their deeds and their roles in this disgraceful injustice will forever be document for generations of their families.
The author does a masterful job of weaving these various storylines into one. The book is meticulously researched. Detailing all the complicated court filings and rulings, while still making the book read with ease, was no small task. Never lost is the human element, how it all impacted Kamala, and us as a society.
However, within this horror we learn of an amazingly resilient woman, Kamala, and her baby daughter, Kritika. Her strength and how she is able to overcome poverty, injustice and even an earthquake, makes this a story an inspiration to all who read it.
Kamala is not the only heroine in this real-life lesson. The attorneys who represented her against all odds and deep-pocketed, multinational corporations, women such as Agnieszka Fryszman, are heroes, as well.
Then we have lawyers such as Mark Lowes and Billy Donley. I’m glad their deeds and their roles in this disgraceful injustice will forever be document for generations of their families.
The author does a masterful job of weaving these various storylines into one. The book is meticulously researched. Detailing all the complicated court filings and rulings, while still making the book read with ease, was no small task. Never lost is the human element, how it all impacted Kamala, and us as a society.
August 13, 2018
Heart-wrenching, vivid and informative. A combination of in-depth reporting and exceptional storytelling made this an absolutely fascinating and compelling book!!
I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in law and human rights as well as anyone who's interested in learning more about the effects of globalization and corrupt corporations.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who's interested in law and human rights as well as anyone who's interested in learning more about the effects of globalization and corrupt corporations.
March 4, 2022
The book is a reminder how capitalism is the enemy – from modern day slavery to destroying the planet.
May 18, 2018
This is a book that stays with you. Simpson reconstructs the harrowing story of 12 poor Nepalese men who were lured to Jordan with false promises of hotel jobs, only to be transported to Iraq, kidnapped en route, and brutally executed by Islamist extremists. This begins a fascinating dive into the world of human trafficking -- the "human supply chain" for KBR Halliburton, the US military's largest Iraq War contractor. One of the things I liked best was the author's clarity, weaving together explorations of the patriarchal culture of Nepal, the growth of military privatization, and the intricacies of a complex legal case (several, actually) that stretched over more than a decade -- bringing it all together in a conclusion that manages to be heartening and appalling at the same time. Highly recommended! Kamala Magar's search for justice makes for a fascinating tale. The appalling part is the moral rot and heartlessness of KBR and its ilk, which unfortunately continues to this day.
August 3, 2018
This was a fantastic read and the only one in this set of reviews (including Incendiary: The Psychiatrist, the Mad Bomber and the Invention of Criminal Profiling and In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin) that didn’t read like something by Erik Larson. It still felt familiar though. Like much of my favorite narrative nonfiction, it was gripping and suspenseful. Compared to the previous two books, the suspense in this book felt less contrived. The writing was more journalistic, less like a thriller. The events themselves kept me reading. I liked that the author relied heavily on direct quotes and primary sources. I also liked the jumping back and forth between Kamala’s life before and after her husband was killed due to the coercive practices of corrupt defense contractors. This reminded me of Toms River as much as anything else. The corrupt business practices we learn about in both are frustrating, but make for engaging reading, as you hope justice will prevail.
This review first published at Doing Dewey.
This review first published at Doing Dewey.
July 31, 2018
What a story. Incredible story of men grom Katmandu who were told they were being brought to work in a hotel in Dubai but who were instead brought to Iraq as forced labor to work under highly dangerous conditions. These men were then kidnapped and executed. This book follows litigation seeking to hold the private military successor to Haliburton liable for their deaths. Gripping from beginning to end.
November 24, 2018
I remember wondering about what private contractors like Halliburton and Blackwater did for the US military during the war in Iraq; I think I assumed that they employed local people or brought in Americans or other willing workers. This heartbreaking book shattered that notion and brought home for me the truth that not much good came out of this war. I'm glad I read it.
October 11, 2019
Having been on the flight from Doha to Kathmandu several times, and seeing caskets arrive at the luggage claim, this book hits closer to home than I wish. It’s an utter disgrace of the modern day slavery instituted by some of the middle east states, and more-than-indirectly, the American corporations.
December 17, 2019
The girl from Kathmandu gives detailed information on the story I grew up hearing about so much. The one that shook my whole nation in that decade. The story of the Twelve Men who died in the Iraq. It is well written book giving emphasis on even the smallest detail possible!
July 10, 2020
This is not the book for you if you're only interested in the prelude to and the aftermath of the calamity, and/or the events surrounding the victims' family ( or 'The girl from Kathmandu').
This book is extremely drawn out- for the content inside which could easily have been presented in a couple of Twitter threads and a couple more articles- with unnecessary details including, and not limited to, a prosecutor's marriage, superfluous stories in the backstory of a judge, relationship status of an associate and dialogues that seem to have been kept just for the sake of it, because they don't necessarily add anything new to the report.
To be completely fair to Simpson, the first half of the book picks up the pace well and is, in a way, presented in a very gripping fashion. However, I'll have to admit that his social critique of a traditional Nepalese society didn't feel the most compelling or factual to me. While I understand that this book was targeted to a more western audience, who might find the portrayal intriguing, I couldn't help not finding the exaggerations concerning, which might mislead people to wrong conclusions. The other thing that really bugged me was the story of Kamala, or the 'Girl', whose story has been so painfully fictionalized like a story you'd find in a highschooler's Facebook post. It was difficult to sympathize with her and her story, and I felt no strong emotional connection with her suffering- evidence to the lack of psychological exgesis in Simpson's work. Her story, which might I add is very little in quantity, is very poorly written, with what seems like a very limited information on her. It almost feels like Simpson is writing her story off of a script of a YouTube video on her, and not with the help of numerous chats and interviews with her- which is how it should have been done.
Something this book, however, doesn't miss on is the happenings around the legal proceedings. In fact, by the end of the book, I felt like I'd just read a book on the legal proceedings of the twelve dead men, and nothing on the twelve dead men. Anyone with no prior simple knowledge on legal terms will be left astray, searching for a dictionary. Anyone with prior simple knowledge on legal terms will be bored with Simpson's drawn out depiction of the lawsuit. The title of this book is, and I cannot stress it enough, very misleading.
To be fair, Simpson does shed light on the heinous neo-slavery celebrated by private American war companies and their subsidiaries, which was very informative; but I didn't feel like reading a 400-page book was worth my time learning about this, which could easily have been possible through a twitter thread- like I've mentioned before.
In conclusion, I found this book a waste of my time and money. It's title and the plot infatuated me into picking it up, especially considering how I grew up in Nepal during the time of the unfortunate killings. I'm not very interested on how legal proceedings work, and I don't think anyone who doesn't either will enjoy this book.
This book is extremely drawn out- for the content inside which could easily have been presented in a couple of Twitter threads and a couple more articles- with unnecessary details including, and not limited to, a prosecutor's marriage, superfluous stories in the backstory of a judge, relationship status of an associate and dialogues that seem to have been kept just for the sake of it, because they don't necessarily add anything new to the report.
To be completely fair to Simpson, the first half of the book picks up the pace well and is, in a way, presented in a very gripping fashion. However, I'll have to admit that his social critique of a traditional Nepalese society didn't feel the most compelling or factual to me. While I understand that this book was targeted to a more western audience, who might find the portrayal intriguing, I couldn't help not finding the exaggerations concerning, which might mislead people to wrong conclusions. The other thing that really bugged me was the story of Kamala, or the 'Girl', whose story has been so painfully fictionalized like a story you'd find in a highschooler's Facebook post. It was difficult to sympathize with her and her story, and I felt no strong emotional connection with her suffering- evidence to the lack of psychological exgesis in Simpson's work. Her story, which might I add is very little in quantity, is very poorly written, with what seems like a very limited information on her. It almost feels like Simpson is writing her story off of a script of a YouTube video on her, and not with the help of numerous chats and interviews with her- which is how it should have been done.
Something this book, however, doesn't miss on is the happenings around the legal proceedings. In fact, by the end of the book, I felt like I'd just read a book on the legal proceedings of the twelve dead men, and nothing on the twelve dead men. Anyone with no prior simple knowledge on legal terms will be left astray, searching for a dictionary. Anyone with prior simple knowledge on legal terms will be bored with Simpson's drawn out depiction of the lawsuit. The title of this book is, and I cannot stress it enough, very misleading.
To be fair, Simpson does shed light on the heinous neo-slavery celebrated by private American war companies and their subsidiaries, which was very informative; but I didn't feel like reading a 400-page book was worth my time learning about this, which could easily have been possible through a twitter thread- like I've mentioned before.
In conclusion, I found this book a waste of my time and money. It's title and the plot infatuated me into picking it up, especially considering how I grew up in Nepal during the time of the unfortunate killings. I'm not very interested on how legal proceedings work, and I don't think anyone who doesn't either will enjoy this book.
August 24, 2019
page 106-107 "The international market in cheap human labor ,already rife with human rights abuses,had taken a far more sinister turn when the United States tapped it to prosecute the war in Iraq. Deception, fraud and coercion were widespread with regards to sending men to work in a war zone through US subcontractors based in the very same countries on the top tier of Washington's human trafficking list. This book tells the story of the widow of one man from Nepal who was killed along with 11 others in Iraq. These men had to pay to procure jobs in these countries but their safety from working conditions to travel was undermined .The biggest US contractor to perpertrate these abuses KBR [Kellogg,Brown, Root] a subsidiary of Haliburton. More behind the scenes machinations included in this book. Kamala is the Nepali widow and due to the customs of her country and religion is an 18 yr old widow who cannot marry again and her husbands family displace her and her child to an ashram and when a payment comes her husbands family take it leaving her and her daughter to rely on charity.
August 28, 2020
This is an important story to understand in view of human trafficking; and from an angle that I was not as informed about as I want to be. Kamala and Jeet were recently married with a little girl when he looked for work outside of Nepal to provide a better life for his family. The author describes the selling of jobs to migrant workers who are then abducted and forced to work in a different job and country than what they planned. In this case, 12 Nepali men were tricked into paying for job opportunities in Jordan; but were instead abducted and transported into Iraq where they were murdered. The long-lasting legal battles to demonstrate the US companies that were at the top of this human supply chain lasted over a decade. It is frustratingly heartbreaking that these corporations like KBR-Halliburton behave in this manner. This is well written and also shows the behind the scenes work at law firms in both business and international law and human rights.
March 6, 2018
I'll start by saying that the title is somewhat misleading. Although it does follow a widow of one of the 12 Nepalese men who were trafficked into working as contractors for KBR during the Iraq War and were then kidnapped and killed; the bulk of the book deals with the investigations and lawsuits against KBR that happened afterwards. As such it often deals more with the lawyers or the author himself who worked on the journalism side of the story. The book is an interesting and quick read, although there are occasional asides that might not have been completely necessary (like the so much personal history of the judge presiding on the case). The ending is frustrating and unsatisfactory, but that is due to the letdown over the verdicts in the lawsuit, and not so much from the book itself.
Received a copy of the book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review.
Received a copy of the book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review.
November 27, 2025
Giving this one 4 stars seems unfair but it did feel quite dry at times, which is down to the subject.
A really heartbreaking book to be honest, there were times where I really felt like I was sinking reading this. Worst of all was the fact that it didn’t have the happy ending I expected it to have. How do powerful corporations always get away with shit like this on simple law technicalities.
My heart goes out to Kamala and the kin of the other 11 members who were part of this absolutely brutal incident. I can’t even begin to imagine how this felt, especially when watching the video.
Finally, thank you to Cam Simpson for writing a good book about such a sensitive subject.
A really heartbreaking book to be honest, there were times where I really felt like I was sinking reading this. Worst of all was the fact that it didn’t have the happy ending I expected it to have. How do powerful corporations always get away with shit like this on simple law technicalities.
My heart goes out to Kamala and the kin of the other 11 members who were part of this absolutely brutal incident. I can’t even begin to imagine how this felt, especially when watching the video.
Finally, thank you to Cam Simpson for writing a good book about such a sensitive subject.
January 28, 2018
I received a free copy of this book for review purposes.
If I had not been forced to leave my apartment, it would have taken much less than a week to read this compelling, heartbreaking and enraging book.
If you enjoy legal “whodunnits" in which the plot is taken from real life, this is right up your alley. If you are interested in human rights abuses and the battle against them, again this is for you. If you are drawn to the fight of “David vs Goliath”, you will want to read this.
In short, don’t miss this book.
If I had not been forced to leave my apartment, it would have taken much less than a week to read this compelling, heartbreaking and enraging book.
If you enjoy legal “whodunnits" in which the plot is taken from real life, this is right up your alley. If you are interested in human rights abuses and the battle against them, again this is for you. If you are drawn to the fight of “David vs Goliath”, you will want to read this.
In short, don’t miss this book.
May 9, 2018
This is an incredibly compelling tale of a woman seeking justice from one of the most powerful companies in America. Simpson masterfully weaves together the stories of Kamala, the girl from Kathmandu, her tenacious lawyers, the men and companies who trafficked humans during the Iraq war, and the lawyers who stoop low to defend them. Simpson is alternately empathetic and justifiably outraged in telling the tale; and he was amazingly persistent in getting it. The Girl from Kathmandu is eye-opening, heart-breaking, humanity at its best and worst.
March 5, 2018
The Girl from Kathmandu: Twelve Dead Men and a Woman's Quest for Justice by Cam Simpson is the story of how one woman fought for the truth of what happen to 12 men who had gone from Nepal to work as Defense contractors for the United States Government during the Iraq War. it shows how one person can get to the truth if they are willing to fight. It also shows the horror and abuse that takes place in any war. It is well written and researched.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
I received a copy thru a Goodreads Giveaway.
July 31, 2018
A truly incredible story, hilighting some of the atrocities of human labor trafficking around the world. The only reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is bc I personally started getting bogged down in the last 100 pages of the trial, as it describes everything in detail to the nth degree...plus the author begins to insert political views, and I just wasn’t in a mood to read that part. (But that boredom is totally on me...this reporter author does an excellent job cataloguing everything.)
August 26, 2018
Informative and captivating. Cam Simpson has done a great service to mankind with his research to help expose current human trafficking and its relation to the Iraq War, USA politicians, and corporate greed. From the villages of Nepal to the law offices of KBR Halliburton, all at the expense of the common man on a global level. Should be on the list of required reading for history, journalism, law, political science, social justice curriculums.
January 23, 2019
A new favorite. I generally don't like non-fiction books because of the lack of a story and too much detail. The author connected you to the issue of modern slavery, corporate power and abuse by telling a story of humanity first. The impact of this book is both the understanding of corporate power and its hold and unfortunate influence on the US and around the globe, and the emotional connection with the families involved. The details of the legal proceedings and the emotional impact of the families experiences were well balanced.
December 26, 2020
Totally not the book/story I was expecting after finding this book in City Lights over a year ago, but so happy I read it. It was also a great review of Civil Procedure, and an interesting and informative deep dive into human rights litigation and the far-reaching impacts of US imperialism and war. Towards the end, some of the details got a little repetitive, and I was left wanting more focus on Kamala and her story than the thorough description of litigation details.
June 26, 2018
I could not put this book down, it was great. I felt so much emotion reading this book, the victories and losses put me on an emotional rollercoaster. As a civil rights lawyer, public defense, this book really makes me appreciate those doing pro bono work at firms. The writing was amazing. Well done. Definitely in my top 3 for 2018 so far.
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