camrynrose2709's review
5.0
I wish I had read this earlier. Gripping story of a mountain climb gone wrong set on the border of China and Nepal. A group of strangers are drawn together when they see refugees being chased by Chinese soldiers and the decision is made to intercede. What follows is a beautiful, brutal, honest story of the true measure of these people as they struggle to survive and escape; set against the egotistical character of Wade, the climber determined to scale Kyatruk at any cost.
The author's writing is gorgeous and rich, his characters flawed, interesting and so well developed that they come alive.
I didn't want to put this book down and can't wait to read his other books.
The author's writing is gorgeous and rich, his characters flawed, interesting and so well developed that they come alive.
I didn't want to put this book down and can't wait to read his other books.
kristamccracken's review
4.0
Every Lost Country was a surprisingly enthralling read that I read in the matter of two days. The book focuses on two main plots -- a climbing expedition and a group of Tibetan refugees attempting to cross the bored into Nepal to safety. The two story-lines intersect almost immediately and continue to intertwine and run in tandem throughout the book.
I found the combination of political tension, refugee realities, and family/relationship drama to be well balanced. Heighton provides a story that easily grips the reader and inspires thought about the human condition, strength and struggle.
I found the combination of political tension, refugee realities, and family/relationship drama to be well balanced. Heighton provides a story that easily grips the reader and inspires thought about the human condition, strength and struggle.
canadianbookworm's review
5.0
I stayed up late last night to finish this as I couldn't bear not to know how it ended. I was gripped by the story and characters and how events overtook intentions.
This novel is told variously from four points of view: Sophie Book, a high school student who has been brought to Nepal by her father; Lewis Book, a doctor hired by a mountain climbing expedition; Amaris McRae, a videographer also part of the expedition; and Wade Larson, leader of the expedition and extremely self-centered.
The group intends to climb a mountain near the Nepal-Tibet border. Their base camp is within sight of the border. One day a group of Tibetans tries to cross the border while being chased by Chinese soldiers. Sophie has always been one to support the disenfranchised and she is compelled to record what is happening. One of the guides, Kaljang, leads her to safety behind some rocks. Sophie's father Lew however is also compelled to help those in need and when he sees some of the refugees are injured he crosses the border with his medical bag and goes to help. Amaris is also compelled to record what is happening and the Chinese grab her and her camera and take her and Lew with the Tibetan prisoners back down from the pass to China.
Lawson is angry at the situation and refuses to let the circumstances affect his climb. Against advice from others, he continues toward the mountain's summit.
Sophie, however, is worried about her father and what he might do, and decides she must act.
As we get caught up in the plight of the refugees and their individual stories, we also see how the relationship between Lew and Sophie changes, and how Amaris is forced to deal with her past after running from it for years. The story is compelling and the characters interesting and with depth. This is a great read and highly recommended.
This novel is told variously from four points of view: Sophie Book, a high school student who has been brought to Nepal by her father; Lewis Book, a doctor hired by a mountain climbing expedition; Amaris McRae, a videographer also part of the expedition; and Wade Larson, leader of the expedition and extremely self-centered.
The group intends to climb a mountain near the Nepal-Tibet border. Their base camp is within sight of the border. One day a group of Tibetans tries to cross the border while being chased by Chinese soldiers. Sophie has always been one to support the disenfranchised and she is compelled to record what is happening. One of the guides, Kaljang, leads her to safety behind some rocks. Sophie's father Lew however is also compelled to help those in need and when he sees some of the refugees are injured he crosses the border with his medical bag and goes to help. Amaris is also compelled to record what is happening and the Chinese grab her and her camera and take her and Lew with the Tibetan prisoners back down from the pass to China.
Lawson is angry at the situation and refuses to let the circumstances affect his climb. Against advice from others, he continues toward the mountain's summit.
Sophie, however, is worried about her father and what he might do, and decides she must act.
As we get caught up in the plight of the refugees and their individual stories, we also see how the relationship between Lew and Sophie changes, and how Amaris is forced to deal with her past after running from it for years. The story is compelling and the characters interesting and with depth. This is a great read and highly recommended.
johnfen's review
4.0
Although I was worried about the pacing in the first half of the novel, I think Heighton really delivered in the second half. As always his language is just supremely beautiful and thought-provoking, and I was surprised at how well this worked in the context of a thriller. I couldn't get enough of the last quarter-or-so of the book. There were times when I forgot where I was and was totally with the characters. That said, at other times I was confused by Heighton's characterization. At times there seemed little difference between the motivations/personalities of the characters, which made the telling of the story from the different viewpoints not super successful. But I do think that he delivered on everything in the end - it just took a little long to get to the good stuff.
Spoiler
The plight of the refugees as they climbed the pass with the Chinese close on their tail, to the penultimate moment when Book gets shot, was so well paced, so beautifully told, and so engaging.
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