Desiccated Land – An American in Kashmir

“This is an extraordinary book.”
— Amitabh Mattoo, Padma Shri honoree, prominent author and columnist

“This book is a vital document of the bravery of our colleagues in Kashmir.”

— Naresh Fernandes, award-winning journalist

“One of the most objective and insightful accounts I’ve read of the lives of Kashmiri people.”

— Rahman Abbas, novelist & winner of India’s Sahitya Akademi Award

You’ve never read a book like this. With its innovative narrative style, Desiccated Land paints a bracing picture of India’s most troubled region.

American journalist David Lepeska’s first full-time reporting job was for Srinagar-based daily Kashmir Observer, and this book gathers his best KO work, details his personal journey and lessons learned as a foreign correspondent, and presents his sober assessment, years later, of the impact of Indian and US policies on the region.

Yet the book’s focus is local. Media coverage of conflict often leaves out the long-term human toll, the eviscerating impact of decades of violence — on society, culture, education, justice, and well-being. Yet only by gauging what war has wrought can we know how to respond and, eventually, recover.

Desiccated Land combines reportage, memoir, and travelogue to explore the reality of daily life in a war-torn land. The book catalogs Kashmiri suffering and its root causes and wonders when the Valley might be able to look toward the future with hope.