-
“This magnificent novel, at once rugged and sensual, elaborates on
George Mallory’s assault on Everest in 1924, the ones who went, the ones who
waited. Deeply felt, richly imagined, immaculately styled, and utterly
compelling, Above All Things takes us to the heights of human
experience and endurance, both in physical fortitude and erotic longing.
Rideout brings us to the summit and back down, shaken but somehow saved by
grace.”
— Robert Goolrick, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Reliable Wife
-
“‘Because it’s there.’ With just three words, George Mallory explained
why explorers do what they do. Yet beyond these words, volumes have been left
unsaid. With Above All Things, Tanis Rideout finally fills in this
void, illuminating one of the great tragic adventure stories of the modern-day
age. It’s a fantastic read.”
— David Grann, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost City of Z
-
“Tanis Rideout’s Above All Things is truly
mesmerizing, a powerful weaving of the tensions and heartaches of a marriage in
conflict with an obsession. It is the story of British climber George Mallory’s
third scaling of the walls of the world’s highest mountain, and it is
brilliantly told. It will take you up the slopes of Mount Everest, a climb so
vividly described, you will almost feel the biting wind, the intense cold, the
great drama of a historic event. But this is more than an adventure tale. Above
All Things takes the reader into the hearts of both Mallory and his
wife as they struggle to understand each other and their own conflicted
yearnings. A deeply satisfying blend of truth and imagination that stands out
from the crowd.”
— Kate Alcott, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmaker
-
“Above All Things has it all: adventure, tragedy, mystery,
and a deeply moving love story. It’s gorgeously written and beautifully paced.
I could not put it down. Prepare to be dazzled.”
— Alison Pick, author of Far to Go, long-listed for the Man Booker Prize
-
“Absorbing…Rideout has a real feel for mountaineering, and her
depiction of the Everest climb pulses with visceral detail.”
— Entertainment Weekly
-
“This vivid, assured, and confident debut novel scales great heights of
obsession and desire, both on the face of Mount Everest and in the loving bond
between doomed explorer George Mallory and his wife, Ruth…Rideout offers a
gripping account of the expedition. The author’s accomplished depiction of the
harsh and beautiful Himalayan heights…pushes the reader forward in a gripping
adventure narrative, while Ruth’s own longings and fears offer a counterpoint
of a more settled but no less intensely sensual interior landscape.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
-
“With a gripping, ‘you are there’ realism, Rideout’s powerful prose
evokes the scalpel-like sting of arctic winds and the bone-shattering cold of
frigid mountain nights. Impeccably researched, Rideout’s vividly authentic
debut historical novel is a paean to the ability of love to conquer all but the
highest mountains.”
— Booklist
-
“George Mallory is the subject of this knockout first novel from a
Canadian poet. The author has exhilaratingly imagined the British climber’s
third and final attempt to reach the mountain’s summit…creating an atmosphere as
authentic as in Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air…Book group alert!
Rideout has written a superb addition to the fictional biography genre
popularized by novels like Loving Frank and The Paris Wife.
Buy it. Recommend it.”
— Library Journal
-
“[Rideout] does a terrific job describing both the extreme physical
conditions and the dreamlike consciousness George and Sandy drift into as their
memories of home intertwine with their moment-to-moment climb.”
— Kirkus Reviews
-
“A love story, a tale of adventure, and a study in obsession all at
once, Above All Things is simply breathtaking. With Tanis
Rideout’s debut, a major new voice in fiction arrives.”
— Joseph Boyden, author of Through Black Spruce and Three Day Road