This book investigates the complex political and cultural factors that led to the mass displacement of ethnic Nepalese from Bhutan in the early 1990s. Michael J. Hutt, a scholar specializing in Himalayan studies, utilizes extensive fieldwork, interviews, and historical analysis to deconstruct the Bhutanese government's policies of national identity. He argues that the expulsion was not merely a localized conflict but a calculated effort to homogenize the nation, challenging international perceptions of Bhutan as a peaceful, isolated kingdom.

Experts recognize this work as a definitive account of the Lhotshampa refugee crisis, praising its meticulous documentation of a neglected geopolitical event. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which provides a rigorous framework for understanding state-sponsored displacement in South Asia.