Above All Things
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Rideout, Tanis, PUBLISHER: McClelland & Stewart, Into Thin Air""meets The Paris Wife""in this captivating debut novel that weaves together the harrowing story of George Mallory's doomed attempt to be the first man to conquer Mt. Everest with that of his wife as she journeys through a single, quietly momentous day, awaiting his return. George Mallory was one of the last great heroic adventurers of the twentieth century, a man of uncommon athleticism and ambition. In Tanis Rideout's beautifully written and elegantly conceived novel, Mallory is revealed as never before in this fictional reimagining of his legendary final summit attempt. Through Mallory's perspective, and that of the newest member of the expedition, Sandy Irvine, we get a vivid picture of expedition life and the ever-present dangers they faced, from falls, avalanches, altitude sickness, and from their own human frailties as well. As we follow the men upwards, we also journey with them into their pasts. Alternating with the expedition's story is a day in the life of Mallory's wife, Ruth. While a war-scarred England waits for Mallory to reclaim some of the Empire's lost glory, Ruth begins to bristle at the burden of having to be the dutifully loyal wife to a national hero. It is through her eyes that we glimpse a different side of George, and what emerges is a portrait of complex marriage defined as much by absence as by great love. A heartbreaking story of obsession, sacrifice, and what we will do for love and honour, Above All Things introduces Tanis Rideout as a bold new literary talent.