I’ve tried to find this book but don’t remember the author and am now wondering if I even have the title right. I read it in 1996. It’s about a group of young people who climb Mt. Everest, I think. But maybe it was another mountain. I was sure the title was The Ascent, but the only thing that keeps coming up with that title is some kind of Soviet espionage. On their way down they almost die, etc. and one of the women has a miscarrage. (She didn’t know she was pregnant.) The Preface of the book was incredibly good; it could have been a whole story in itself. A friend of mine is a librarian and tried to find it for me but couldn’t, so this is a long shot. But I want to read it again and this is driving me nuts. Any ideas?
Could it be this novel? It doesn’t match all of the things you mention, but the title is The Ascent and it’s about a group climbing Mt. Everest.
If this isn’t it, is the one you’re looking for fiction or non-fiction?
I read the book shinyquark linked to and it is a YA novel about a kid trying to be the youngest climber to get to the top of Everest. Excellent, IMO.
I don’t think so, koeeoaddi. Looks like the YA novel you’re thinking of is the Everest series by Gordon Korman. It was published in 2002, so the OP couldn’t have read it in 1996.
shinyquark’s link, on the other hand, is The Ascent by Jeff Long, published in 1992, which looks like a more likely candidate on all counts.
I think this is it! omg How did you do that? I’ve looked for this off & on for ages…if this is it I’m going to hug your neck. ty!
Oh, and if you get a chance just read the Preface—as chilling to me as a Twilight Zone episode. ty ty
You’re right. That was the wrong book, but it wasn’t the Korman book that I read, either. It was Peak, by Roland Smith!
Looks intriguing! (But also, of course, not a possible candidate for the OP’s quest, since it was published in 2007. Anyway, looks like shinyquark solved the mystery.)
I just used my librarian super powers.
No, really I just did an advanced search on WorldCatand was lucky that there weren’t too many books published near the timeframe you mentioned with that title.
I hope it’s the right book. I love finding the books people have been looking for!
shinyquark, thank you so much for that link. I found a book I’ve been trying to remember for YEARS I read as a kid.
Yay! I’m always happy to spread the library goodness.
shinyquark, you’re a jewel. thnx again