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Book Review: Erika and The King

Introduction:

Erika and The KIng is a book written by Erika Leuchtag. This book was a fulfillment of a promise made 8 years back from the publishing date of the book. A promise made in the royal palace of Nepal. A promise to pay back a mesh golden bracelet. The book was published in 1958. It is written in the memory of the late His Majesty King Tribhuvan, King of Nepal. The book is divided into four chapters. Each describing a different landscape of the history of Nepal.

Summary:

The first chapter begins with a letter from an European doctor to Erika requesting her to come to Nepal to provide for the senior queen of Nepal, late Queen consort Kanti Rajya Laxmi Shah massage. She immediately says yes but Erika’s mother isn’t pleased to send her daughter to the land of mountains. But Erika convinces her and writes back to the foreign ministry of Nepal, to Bijaya Rana. Son of the former Rana prime minister. She is warmly invited to the capital. Since she was living in Simla to treat Patiala Raja, she travels from simla to Raxaul in train and after the train journey she is carried by porters and finally from Chandragiri to Kathmandu in a car. She immediately falls in love with the country. The mountains, hills, the culture, everything mesmerises her in the most sweet way possible as she expresses in her words. After starting the massages she slowly starts gaining King Tribhuvan’s attention. Her curiosity made her even closer. The Ranas plan to distract the king into females and attractions. He is told to learn ball dance form Erika. 4 in the evening everyday. Even though he is often late she never dares to question his decisions. Slowly, after gaining even more trust and hope she asks why the Ranas seem to have more power to make decisions than he, the king himself. She solves the puzzles to draw a conclusion that the king is a caged bird of the Ranas. Meanwhile, Erika starts growing closer to the queens and princesses too. They show her around the house and make her try everything that seems to fit her. Erka even gives the queens nicknames. She travels around the valley and all that she admires is shared with the king. The king unknown of the outside world listens to her in awe. Erika out of love for the country and pity on the situation of it she decides to help the king no matter what. She contacts the former ambassador of the Indian embassy, Mr. Surjit. He warns Erika that one wrong decision could cost her everything. But she is ready to risk it all. She convinces Surjit to tell the then, ambassador of the embassy to make the king seek refuge in the embassy. Before the letter arrived, Erika left for England. She was writing to the king with several different names to avoid suspicion from the Ranas. They had their own code words. But the letter finally was replied to by Jawal lal Nehru. The royal family leaves for leopard hunting the next morning. But the forest would be the Indian Embassy. In 1954 January, the Ranas were sacked and constitutional monarchy started. Erika is constantly thanked immensely for her help and support for freedom. Then she visits Nepal but doesn't get to spend much time because of the King’s busy schedule. But she gets an invitation to Princess Bharait's wedding. That’s where she would meet the King for the last time. After the wedding she returns to England and the king starts falling severely ill. Finally after suffering and recovering from two heart attacks, King Tribhuvan passed away on March 13, 1955 in Zurich, during the process of his treatment.

Critical Analysis:

Erika and the King is a historical novel that blends real political events of Nepal with personal experiences of a European woman, Erika. The story presents Nepal during the rana regime through an outsider’s eye. This helps the reader understand the country’s immense beauty as well as its political struggles throughout time.

There is a subtle mixture of love and friendship in the book. The book doesn’t portray it as a direct, traditional love story but rather as an emotional connection that was built in trust, admiration and shared concern for the nation. This also makes King’s death and illness more impactful and as a reader, we can understand that emotional bonds can never fully be expressed.

However, the book moves at a fast pace. Some political events need really deep analysis and observation to be understood. The descriptions are not as vivid as they would have been. The struggles of being a caged bird, the pressure of the Ranas and many more details are presented surfacially.

Conclusion:

Erika and the king is a blend of history and emotions. The book shows how individual courage and empathy can change a course of history. The subtle way of describing attractions towards each other adds more depth while focusing on the journey towards freedom. The novel is both educational and emotionally building for readers.