Book Review: Holiday in Hunza By Jewel Hatcher Henrickson

Holiday in Hunza is a travel piece by a group of Americans who live and work in Karachi. When Muhammad Jamal Khan, the last ruler of Hunza visits Karachi he meets Dr. Nelson. Dr. Nelson the medical director of Karachi hospital invites Jamal to visit his hospital. Jamal Khan gets impressed by the hospital management and invites Nelson and his staff to visit Hunza. The following year the Americans with help from Iskander Mirza’s son travel to Hunza. All of them arrive in a train at Rawalpindi. Later on they move to Gilgit in a Dakota plane with a fight which gets delayed. From Gilgit Jamal Khan arranges a jeep and himself excuses the guests, as he has to attend a meeting with the political agent at Gilgit. Jamal promises to join them later in Hunza. The jeep ride to Hunza has a chapter in the book. Rest at Nomal, Nagar and the arrangements made by the Mir of Hunza have also been mentioned. Furthermore a chapter regarding the Mir’s wife is separately given in the book. Her way of life, children, fashion sense and even minute details such as her smoking cigarette have also been stated. Rani gave birth to eleven children and four of them died. The author mentions that it is suspected that they were poisoned as the circumstances were the same in all the cases. In addition to that those tourists who were doctors setup temporary clinic to facilitate the population. The wife of Jamal requests them to open a temporary clinic especially for the Hunza women. These missionary tourists also perform their religious practices and also frequently setup their Sabbath school. Sightseeing in Hunza is facilitated by Master Sultan Ali especially the trek to Ultar glacier. Other than that the tourists also observe a funeral ceremony. Jamal Khan on his return from Gilgit to Hunza requests the tourists for the construction of a hospital in Hunza. Later on before departure from Hunza gifts are exchanged between the tourists and Jamal Khan’s family.