Book excerpt: Hidden Women are women about whom we know nothing, or very little, so they are shades or shadows in the life of Jung Bahadur Rana who founded the Rana dynasty that ruled Nepal for 104 years. Nothing is written about the women in his life except that against his wishes they committed sati when he was cremated. Strong and independent women, they had influence on him, enjoyed a prominent place in his life, and ironically the one he admired most tried to kill him. It is a novel look at his story, worn out by many Nepali writers, as it is the first time being told through the eyes of the women in his life. Thoroughly researched, Greta Rana builds together a feasible picture of how women lived and thought, hoped and died in a restrictive feudal society.