My introduction to Anita Shreve was Testimony, which I read way back in February. Apparently it made enough of an impact that I put my hand up to review her newest effort, A Change in Altitude...About the book:
Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.
A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.
A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.
drey's thoughts:
A Change in Altitude is a meandering read into the lives of Margaret and Patrick, and their adventures (foibles?) in Kenya. The nuances of a marriage are explored, the intimacy and betrayal examined--not just Margaret and Patrick's, though the focus is on them. Is it cheating if all you're really guilty of is letting someone hold your hand? If it's not, then how do you deal with a spouse who thinks it is? And if it is, then is the guilt over the eventual outcome, something that can be overcome? Or do you just keep carrying it around, never talking about it, like the proverbial elephant in the room?
This one's not a happy read, nor is it a light read. Prepare a cup of tea before sitting down with it--you won't want to get up for a while.
Title: A Change in Altitude
Author: Anita Shreve
ISBN-10: 0316020702
ISBN-13: 9780316020701
Hardcover: 307 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, 2009
Challenges: 100+, Pub
3 comments:
Wow, gotta get it. I posted on the site for violence and breast cancer. Great idea. Hope I can leave a link for a giveaway. If so, thanks but go and enter everyone:
http://www.feistyfrugalandfabulous.com/2009/09/carolina-pad.html
dorcontest at gmail dot com
That's how all of Anita Shreve's work is for me - a little disturbing but I can't put it down.
Thanks for the review Drey...I plan on reading this one in a week or so.
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