Nanda Devi

Nanda Devi: The Tragic Expedition by John Roskelley, 213 pages

In 1976, a team of Americans and Indians set out to climb Nanda Devi, the highest peak entirely within India, by a new route.  One of the leaders of the team was Willi Unsoeld, and one of the members was his daughter, Nanda Devi Unsoeld, whom he had named after the mountain.  From the beginning, the expedition was marred by interpersonal conflict, competing visions, and a leadership crisis that was never really resolved, ending in tragedy high on the mountainside.

It is at the moment of tragedy that the book takes a sudden sentimental turn, changing from a contentious account of struggle against the elements and each other into a celebration of the beauty of Nanda Devi, the mountain, and Nanda Devi, the woman.  Unfortunately, little in the first part prepares the reader for what follows - there is little spirituality, no rhapsodizing on the aesthetics of the mountains, and Devi Unsoeld blends in with the other climbers.  Perhaps only belatedly did Roskelley realize that the poetry of Unsoeld's connection to the mountain was the hook for his narrative, or perhaps this is due to Roskelley being a mountaineer rather than a novelist, or perhaps this is a genuine reflection of Roskelley's experience, and all of the frustrations and disagreements became insignificant in their shared loss and grief.  Whatever the cause, the jarring disconnect at the climax keeps a solid book from being a classic.

Annapurna

Annapurna: The First Conquest of an 8000-Meter Peak by Maurice Herzog, translated by Nea Morin and Janet Adam Smith, 223 pages

In 1950, Maurice Herzog led a French expedition into Nepal's Kali Gandaki gorge with the intention of scouting and scaling one of the two peaks over eight thousand meters high bordering the canyon.  Exploring and finding Dhaulagiri too forbidding, they chose Annapurna, the tenth highest mountain in the world, as their target.  Overcoming all obstacles, Herzog and Louis Lachenal became the first men to summit an eight-thousander - at the cost of most of their fingers and toes, which had to be amputated as the result of extreme frostbite.  Annapurna is Herzog's conversational account of the expedition, a "record... of men at grips with Nature at her most pitiless... of their sufferings, their hopes and joys."

The Road to Paradise

The Road to Paradise by Karen Barnett      352 pages

In this first book of the Vintage National Parks series, author takes us to Mount Rainier in Washington State. Signed into law in 1899 by President William McKinley, Mount Rainier National Park is the nations’ fifth national park and the first created from a national forest.

Sit back and get ready to enjoy the beauty of the park as author Karen Barnett describes it’d splendor. The majestic beauty of the park is only accentuated by the wonderful little yarn Barnett unravels.

It’s 1927. Margaret (Margie) Lane is an avid naturalist. She has fled to the park after her former fiancé strikes her.  Margie is a senator’s daughter and has only known the lap of luxury. But she’s more than willing to give it up to settle herself in God’s beauty.

Unknown to her, Margie’s father has made a significant donation to the park in order to secure her a position for the summer. The calendar may read June, but there is still snow on the ground.

Margie reports to Chief Ranger Ford Brayden, who is extremely uncomfortable with a green-horn woman in his park.

The park has been Ford’s life. He took over his father’s job when he died attempting to scale Rainier. Ford hasn’t come to terms with that yet although it’s been two years now.

Margie manages to provide a radiance to the park that is warmer than the upcoming summer. Soon Margie’s ex-fiancé shows up, doing his best to disrupt the mountain’s peace.  Margie has other plans and will stop at nothing to thwart him, including attempting to climb to the summit.

The Road to Paradise is the perfect summer read. All the descriptions of the snow and the budding spring soon make readers forget that sweat is dripping down their spines. The interaction between the characters is honest. The plot moves along nicely and the pacing keeps readers quickly turning the page to learn what happens next.

The Road to Paradise receives 5 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for this review.

Because

Because by Jack A. Langedijk       388 pages

I was invited by the author’s press people to read/review Because. Sounded great. When it arrived in the mail, I was more than a little skeptical. If I had seen this on a bookshelf, I would have passed it by. The cover art is confusing, the title is boring and weird (that lowercase “b” really threw me off), and the back cover text didn’t pull me in.

Then, I started reading. The first 23 pages were bad. I had no idea what was happening. Thank God for my 50-page rule (I almost always give a book 50 pages before I say it’s not for me).By the time I reached page 50, I realized that those first pages merely had a badly placed flashback.

And by the time, I reached page 50, I was hooked on Robert and his story. Robert, real name Roberto Sanchez, had a great life: He gave workshops to at-risk kids; he climbed mountains—and had climbed the most difficult ones, including Mt. Everest; he had a loving and supportive wife, and a beautiful daughter. He was “on the top of the world,” physically and psychologically.

Then, the avalanche happened. He was trapped beneath six stories of snow and ice. He was rescued, obviously, but lost both legs. How does a man go from being active and fit, to no longer being able to do the things he loved? It’s hard that’s for sure.

Robert’s story weaves between past and present, not necessarily in that order. Langedijk does a great job in naming each chapter so readers can figure out what’s happening. For the past, Langedijk also weaves in the stories of how the other three members of Robert’s climbing party (not including the guides) came to be in that group. Troy, Nancy, and Phillip are fascinating, well-developed characters. I was especially taken with Troy, and I think other readers will find him one of their favorite characters also. The author also weaved in Robert’s sessions with a counselor.

For the present story, Lanfedijk provides a linear story that culminates in heartbreak and happiness. Toward the end, the story became a little preachy and got a little old. But by the end, I was once again riveted with Robert’s plight.

I give Because 4 out of 5 stars.