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Nightmare in Laos: The True Story of a Woman Imprisoned in a Communist Gulag
 
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Nightmare in Laos: The True Story of a Woman Imprisoned in a Communist Gulag [Illustrated] (Hardcover)

by Kay Danes (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 303 pages
  • Publisher: Maverick House; illustrated edition edition (1 Jul 2006)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1905379080
  • ISBN-13: 978-1905379088
  • Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 2.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 287,861 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories:

    #22 in  Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > Australia & New Zealand
    #27 in  Books > Biography > Social & Health Issues > Cultural History > Australian
    #43 in  Books > Biography > Political > Countries & Regions > East & South East Asia

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Product Description

Review
'A thrilling account full of drama that reveals a side of Laos the government don't want the tourists to see and a story they don't want us to know.' - Irish Daily Star on Sunday'This is a book for those who can think for themselves, and a wake-up call for those who are prepared to accept status quo for the sake of peace and quiet.' - The Chinagmai Mail

Margaret Reynolds, United Nations, Australia.
'Kay writes from the heart, and her experience as life as a prisoner in Laos makes compelling reading.'

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A compelling Story, 26 Jun 2006
What a compelling story. It is the realisation of every parent's worst fears and nightmares--being taken away from your children and left in a place that seems alien and cruel. The horrifying accounts of cruelty and suffering shocked me. I felt that one of the strongest elements of the book was the author's realisation of the extent to which the people suffer, particularly the Hmong, and the determination that grew in her to help tell their story. This book appeals to anybody who has ever felt fear--and that is everybody. It's about losing everything but the support of family and friends, and realising that that is the most valuable thing any of us can have. It has drama, action, political intrigue, tension, sorrow and joy, and is at its centre an inspirational story about never giving up, and fighting for what you believe in. I thoroughly enjoyed it!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Read, 10 Aug 2006
As the title of her book says, Danes endured a nightmare in Laos, imprisoned with her husband Kerry, for alleged wrongdoings related to a coveted gem mine in the country's north. The Danes ran a security firm that ended up being responsible for more than a tonne of sapphires from the Huay Xai mine. Kay says she and her husband, a former SAS soldier, were effectively held hostage for 10 months in Phontong prison by a "paranoid communist regime" intent on taking over the mine and getting back any gems spirited out of the country by the Danish mine manager who fled to Bangkok.

There were other aspects to the drama. The Danes also ran a firm in Thailand that provided security for an expatriate businessman who was involved in a struggle with one of the Kingdom's most notorious corporate figures. This aspect of the story is not fully explained in the book, presumably for legal reasons, given the Thai businessman's fearsome record of taking his opponents to court. Did this man pay the Lao government to keep the Danes - responsible for his opponent's personal security - in jail? You are led to believe that may have happened, but its not fully revealed or spelled out.



Danes writes emotively. Phontong is a "gulag" where prisoners live in squalor and are routinely tortured. "Gulag" seems a little over-the-top, but the bulk of text is well written and credible. How many other farangs have emerged to tell the tales from inside a Lao jail? Danes' account of her fellow prisoners is moving and upsetting. I was left wondering why prison officials in Vientiane would feel the need to beat prisoners - foreign, Hmong or Lao - and commit ugly acts such as burning people's genitals.

This book reinforces the belief shared by a number of Western embassies here that the Lao regime includes some ugly figures, not much better than the generals in Rangoon. A book like this, exposing the dark underbelly of Laos, is a stark contrast to the country's tourist promotions and the gentle manner of the bulk of its people. In the beginning one gets the impression that Kay Danes is playing a game with soldiers, blissfully unaware of the risks. At the end of the 10-month confinement and separation from her young children, she seems close to emotional breakdown. But you fully understand why she is campaigning on behalf of those suffering such outrageous cruelty and neglect in Asian jails.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book of Heroic Proportions, 1 April 2007
By Amazon woman (Blackfriars, London) - See all my reviews
As a woman I rarelr read prison stories but was amazedto find one in the shop I use. Also, this woman appeared to be innocent until framed by a communistic government for its own ulterior motives. Very disturbing account of her treatment. She was allowed anti-depressives and the Australian ambassador- who up till her arrest had been her personal friend- went through the motions of trying to help her but in reality- although she doesn't like to admit this- did precious little in real terms for her.
Also, the embassy doctor did an avaluation of her health from the back of a jeep- when she came to court he looked through the window and. seeing that her legs hadn't actually been broken, and that she was able to walk, declared her health 'good'. What a clown. How frustrating.
But this writer has made it through, found her kids again, and rebuilt her life. Now she is campaigning for the rights of people to whom bad things happen- but who, unlike herself, may not experience such a fortouitous outcome.
Would make a great film!!
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