The Paris Wife meets Into Thin Air in this breathtaking novel of love and obsession, which tells the story of George Mallory’s legendary attempt to be the first man to conquer Mount Everest – and of the remarkable woman he left behind to await news of his fate.
A captivating blend of historical fact and imaginative fiction, Above All Things moves seamlessly between the epic story of Mallory’s final expedition and a moving account of a day in the life of his wife, Ruth. Through George’s perspective, and that of the newest member of the climbing team, Sandy Irvine, we get an astonishing picture of the terrible risks taken by the men on the treacherous terrain of the Himalaya. But it is through Ruth’s eyes that a complex portrait of a marriage emerges, one forged on the eve of the First World War, shadowed by its losses, and haunted by the ever-present possibility that George might not come home. Drawing on years of research, this powerful and beautifully written novel is a timeless story of desire, redemption, and the lengths we are willing to go for honour, glory, and love.
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“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, Man Booker Prize–longlisted author of Far to Go
“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. . . . A gripping account of the expedition.”
—Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)
“Part love story, part high-octane adventure, this historical novel about doomed Everest climber George Mallory is a tough one to put down.”
—People Magazine
“A knockout first novel. . . . The author has exhilaratingly imagined the British climber’s third and final attempt to reach the mountain’s summit in 1924 . . . 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. Your patrons will thank you.”
—Library Journal (STARRED REVIEW)
“Captivating . . . [An] enthralling blend of historical fact and imaginative fiction. . . . This book is a must-read. . . The perfect read for anyone lured by the romance of adventure, as the story goes well beyond the vast summit of Everest into much trickier terrain: the unmapped topography of the heart.”
—Globe and Mail
“A love story, a tale of adventure, and a study in obsession all at once, Above All Things is simply breathtaking.”
—Joseph Boyden, Scotiabank Giller Prize–winning author of Through Black Spruce
“Nothing short of outstanding. . . . Rideout has that all-too-desirable quality most authors strive for: you aren’t reading the story, you’re in it.”
—Kingston Whig Standard
“The final chapters, as the two men wage war against the elements and the altitude, are as heart-pounding as anything in Into Thin Air – and the tension is almost unbearable, even if we know the outcome. . . . Rideout’s powerful prose about a tragic, brutal end will haunt you.”
—USA Today
“Above All Things reaches unimaginable peaks. Prepare your heart. . . . Rideout masterfully crafts an epic love story that . . . touches the very core of the human condition. Rideout leaves readers holding the book close to their chest, knowing that the purpose of life, above all else, is love.”
—Telegraph-Journal
“[An] absorbing, book-club-ready first novel. . . . Rideout’s depiction of the Everest climb pulses with visceral detail.”
—Entertainment Weekly, A-
“I loved this novel. Even though the outcome is known, Rideout’s beautiful prose and masterful storytelling elevate the book above the stacks of other recent novels.”
—Quill & Quire (STARRED REVIEW)
“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
“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
“Rideout manages to create, with great skill, an atmosphere of tension and suspense which leaves the reader eager to turn pages. . . . Above All Things is both engrossing and elegantly written. A tour de force in superb story-telling.”
—London Free Press
“Truly mesmerizing, a powerful weaving of the tensions and heartaches of a marriage in conflict with an obsession. . . . A deeply satisfying blend of truth and imagination.”
—Kate Alcott, author of The Dressmaker
“Rideout’s debut is provocative, challenging, captivating and polished – quite possibly perfect.”
—CBC Books, 10 Canadian Writers to Watch
About the Author
Tanis Rideout’s work has been shortlisted for several prizes, including the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for Emerging Writers and the CBC Literary Awards. In 2006, she was named the Poet Laureate for Lake Ontario by the environmental advocacy group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper and joined Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip on a tour to promote environmental justice on the lake. She was recently named by CBC Books as a Canadian writer to watch. Born in Belgium, Tanis grew up in Bermuda and in Kingston, Ontario, and now lives in Toronto. She recently received her MFA from the University of Guelph. Above All Things is her first novel, and it is being published around the world. www.tanisrideout.com.
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Customer Reviews
McClelland & Stewart Inc.|June 19, 2012|Hardcover|ISBN: 978-0-7710-7635-0
The Paris Wife meets Into Thin Air in this breathtaking debut novel of obsession and divided loyalties, which brilliantly weaves together the harrowing story of George Mallory's ill-fated 1924 attempt to be the first man to conquer Mount Everest, with that of a single day in the life of his wife as she waits at home in England for news of his return.
A captivating blend of historical fact and imaginative fiction, Above All Things moves seamlessly back and forth between the epic story of Mallory's legendary final expedition and a heartbreaking account of a day in the life of Ruth Mallory. Through George's perspective, and that of the newest member of the climbing team, Sandy Irvine, we get an astonishing picture of the terrible risks taken by the men on the treacherous terrain of the Himalaya. But it is through Ruth's eyes that a complex portrait of a marriage emerges, one forged on the eve of the First World War, shadowed by its losses, and haunted by the ever-present possibility that George might not come home.
Drawing on years of research, this powerful and beautifully written novel is a timeless story of desire, redemption, and the lengths we are willing to go for honour, glory, and love.
My Review:
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! The alternating chapters between different days of George's legendary climb and only one day in Ruth's life was a brilliant concept on Ms. Rideout's part. The exhilaration, suspense, and gripping writing is amazing. The vivid descriptions of the bone-chilling cold, the cutting wind, and the glaring ice made you feel as if you were there climbing with the group.
I felt a special affinity for Ruth who waited at home in England to hear word from George, a man she loved very deeply. Ruth did not want George to go on this expedition but knew deep in her heart that it was something George just had to do. The call of Everest was just too much for him to resist.
Above All Things would make for an interesting discussion among book club members or just between two friends. There is so much to review in this phenomenal story. I'll be highly recommending it for sure.
Rideout has created intricate worlds that are engaging and vibrant in her fictional account of George Mallory's 1924 Everest expedition. She traces how, in the years following the Great War, individual and national desires collided, resulting in the famed expedition to the mountain's summit. Rideout offers us particular insight into the lives of George Mallory, his expedition companion Sandy Irvine, and his wife Ruth, who struggles to accept her dutiful place awaiting George in Cambridge when her life is thrown out of order by his wanderlust.In invoking the chaos of war and its aftershock, the relationships imposed by colonial economies and imaginaries, the desires underpinning these explorations, and the lives of those affected by them, this novel asks us to consider these things as human things, and raises questions as to what their means and ends are worth.
While epic in scope, Rideout manages to move skillfully from the sweeping to the intimate, finding poetry and humour in the everyday. She offers insight into circumstances that are both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. She is skilled at exploring the spaces between; the slack and tension between humans, and between humans and objects (Everest first comes to mind, but note the role of letters in the novel). Her characters are complicated and embodied, with Rideout paying careful attention to the physical pleasures and pains that come with their territories.
And perhaps most importantly, Above All Things is immensely readable. It has a rhythm that carries it forward towards its gripping final scenes.I recommend this book highly, both for the individual reader, as well as for book groups looking for a text that is literary and accessible. A great summertime read!
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