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The author documents cases from Northern India and Nepal of the often violent, frequently homicidal, reactions of families towards their members because of forbidden romances and marriages that are intercaste, between people of different religions, and relationships between couples who did not obtain the consent of the heads of their families. Evans, a retired medical practitioner with a Ph.D. in humanities, focused his dissertation on India and Nepal from 1993-2013. He structures his reports on these "Romeo and Juliet" tragedies in four ways: "Storyline," in which he describes the case; "Judgement comments" when the issue has been heard in court; "Social pressures," which offer a thumbnail sketch of the larger, societal view of the situation; and, finally, "The stepping stone"—the situation that may, possibly, be a way towards understanding or change.
Reports of these atrocities began to receive coverage in 1993, and media reports have increased through the years. The major problems, such as kidnappings, torture, and homicide, occur mostly among parents and children, in-laws, and siblings. Meanwhile, the court rulings uphold the adults' rights to marry whom they please and grant "protection" to the petitioners who request it.
Evans packs his book with pertinent questions and suggestions about working towards change, which reflect several aspects of conflict analysis. The reality is that there are strong marital taboos that play a significant role in whether an individual's rights "are allowed or withheld by the society or family." Evans urges that the responsibility of people who would stop the violence is to tell "the stories and spread the word." The author's painstakingly researched book is a must for any interested in the cultures of Northern India and Nepal and who are concerned about human rights issues.