How 'Bout Them Reads: A Change in Altitude

Margaret is trying to adjust to her newlywed life with her husband Patrick. But to make matters harder, she is trying to adjust to this life in Africa, where they are staying for the next year. Patrick is a doctor and is doing work there. Margaret, a photographer, isn't working, but being forced to learn the culture and have this new adventure. They are staying with a British couple, Arthur and Dianne, who convince Margaret and Patrick to climb Mount Kenya with them and another couple. Patrick is ready for the adventure, Margaret however is unsure, but agrees to go. While they are up on the mountain, a horrific accident happens and one of the six of their group doesn't make it back down the mountain. Although Margaret is not directly to blame for the life lost, blame falls on her. Things are not the same when they descend the mountain. Margaret not struggles with what happened and figuring out where her place now is.

via

I have read another book by Anita Shreve. There is no denying that she is a wonderful writer. Her descriptions and details are beautifully spoken and you can see the distress and moral pulls from the characters. However, I was often lost with this book. It often times seemed like she went off and took the story down a road that it didn't need to go down. From what I understand, the writer spent some time in Kenya and has a deep love for the culture and people. And that definitely showed from what she wrote, but it also was a bad thing because she often took the story and characters down unnecessary roads for the stories just because she wanted to write more about the culture. Now that's not saying that I didn't enjoy the book. I did. It was beautifully written and the characters were wonderfully designed, but it was at times too wordy and too off topic for my taste.

47/52