Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas

Product Description "By patient accumulation of anecdote and detail, Rustad evolves Shetler’s story into something much more human, and humanly tragic, into a layered inquisition and a reportorial force....suffice it to say Rustad has done what the best storytellers do: tried to track the story to its last twig and then stepped aside." —New York Times Book ReviewIn the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker.In his early thirties Justin Alexander Shetler, quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey: across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal, in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters, while also documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever restless explorer was driven to pursue ever greater challenges, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey.In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition yet shrouded in darkness and danger. There, he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a “spiritual journey” to a holy lake—a journey from which he would never return.Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where for many westerners the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.Lost in the Valley of Death includes 16 pages of color photographs. Review "Justin Alexander Shetler went to India in search of adventure and authenticity and never came back. Was his disappearance the result of a crime, an accident, or a profound spiritual transformation? This mystery beats at the heart of Harley Rustad’s gripping and propulsive book, which is part travelogue, part pilgrim’s quest, part detective story. The result is the classic hero’s journey updated for a hectic, hyperconnected world: think The Lost City of Z meets Eat Pray Love, only set in the Himalayas in the age of hashtags." — Kate Harris, author of Lands of Lost Borders"....leaves you with a sense of wonder and a sense of unease. It’s a book that is not easy to put down." — New York Journal of Books"Fascinating....In prose that moves like a clear river.... Rustad has done what the best storytellers do: tried to track the story to its last twig and then stepped aside." — New York Times Book Review"....a nuanced and gripping account....the latest in a rich seam of travel writing that captures the curiosity and hubris of the planet’s most restless souls." — Financial Times"Rustad does extensive research, including hundreds of interviews with those who knew Shetler, and undertakes his own journey to India, where he finds the cave in which Shetler spent his last days. The tale he tells is both a portrait of this complex, driven seeker, but also a cautionary story about the potential dangers visitors to India face on the path to spiritual enlightenment." — San Francisco Chronicle"Rustad’s gripping investigation of Shetler’s life showcases a late-model brand of very online enlightenment seeker. Think: flowing clothing, lots of meditation and shi