New Memoir, The Leopard And The Moon By Nigel Roberts, Explores Grief, Guilt, And Finding Peace In The High Himalayas

On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK”, following the devastating loss of his wife and daughter, Nigel Roberts embarks on a grueling 450-mile Himalayan trek in his powerful memoir, The Leopard and the Moon, to confront grief, guilt, and the limits of love.

At the age of 65, former World Bank Director and global conflict specialist Nigel Roberts embarked on an arduous, two-month trek across 450 to 500 miles of unforgiving terrain in Dolpo, one of the most remote regions of Nepal. Rather than an ordinary adventure, this physically grueling expedition served as a solemn pilgrimage. Tracing a route famously documented by Peter Matthiessen in The Snow Leopard and George Schaller in Stones of Silence, Roberts sought out the harsh, cold landscapes of the Himalayas to confront an internal terrain far more difficult than any mountain pass.

Confronting Devastating Personal Loss

The journey was born out of profound tragedy. Within a span of four years, Roberts lost both his daughter, Tess, at age 25, and his wife, Mandana. Both had suffered through struggles with bipolar disorder, and in Mandana’s case, addiction as well.

The heavy burden of these losses left Roberts wrestling with a haunting question familiar to many who survive family tragedies: What was his part in what happened, and why wasn’t he able to do more to save them? Returning to Nepal—a country he knew well from earlier holidays spent with his family—offered a space where happier past futures felt tangible. He hoped the physical challenge and the process of writing would help him understand the tragedy while preserving the memories of Tess and Mandana.

A Decade-Long Labor of Writing and Reflection

It took Roberts ten years to complete his first book, The Leopard and the Moon: A Journey in Dolpo, Nepal. Released after this decade of reflection, the memoir masterfully weaves the harsh realities of his high-altitude expedition with deep emotional introspection. Alongside his personal reckoning, the book weaves in observations about Nepal’s dramatic historical and cultural trajectory.

The physical test of the expedition was immense. Depending entirely on a team of local men and mules navigating dangerous, freezing paths, Roberts faced conditions so severe that illness, cold, and danger nearly drove him to abandon the project altogether. Yet, unexpected moments of grace spurred him onward to complete the trek.

Acclaimed figures have praised the resulting work. Author Meg Rosoff described the book as a glittering memoir of family tragedy, perseverance, and love delivered with vast insight and grace. Meanwhile, field biologist George Schaller commended the manuscript’s superb historical overview of Nepal and its evocative writing, which captured everything from the freezing blue landscapes to local traditions like digging for caterpillar fungus.

From Colonial Roots to Global Conflict Specialist

Roberts’ path to this emotional pilgrimage has spanned the globe. A dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom, he was raised in Nyasaland (now Malawi) where his father served as a Colonial Prosecutor, and was educated in British boarding schools.

Professionally, Roberts spent 30 years working for the World Bank as a specialist in civil conflict. Today, he continues his work as a global conflict consultant. He currently resides in Virginia with his second wife and his grandson Alex—who is Tess’s son.

Far from a light-hearted spiritual retreat, The Leopard and the Moon stands as a raw, beautifully written, and deeply moving testament to a man walking through the physical and spiritual extremes of the Himalayas to honor the lives of the two women he loved and lost.

Find more from Nigel Roberts now:

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