Above All Things
“Because it’s there.” George Mallory’s famous riposte to the question of why he attempts to scale Mount Everest satisfies everyone but his wife, Ruth. Theirs is a passionate romance, though one increasingly strained by Mallory’s insatiable need to crest a mountain that has vanquished him twice before, leaving his reputation in tatters after seven crew members died on his previous expedition. Given yet another chance to conquer the mountain, Mallory reneges on his promise to Ruth and mounts one final expedition. While Ruth soldiers on at their Oxford home, buoyed by family and friends but unsettled by relentless anxiety, Mallory and his team endure unimaginable hardships as they set out for the top of the world. 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. --Carol Haggas