"We're climbing Mount Kenya," Patrick tells his wife, and that
simple announcement sets the stage for an emotionally powerful
drama in an exotic locale. It's the 1970s, and Americans Patrick
and Margaret, married for just a few months, are now living in
Kenya so Patrick can practice his specialty --- equatorial
medicine. They find themselves staying with their landlords, the
condescending Arthur and his dog-obsessed wife, Diana, due to a
plumbing issue in their rented cottage. In a subtle yet ominous
foreshadowing, the young couple has been robbed multiple times and
is now hearing rumors of a mass grave containing 50 students.

The sense of foreboding increases as Margaret, Patrick, Arthur
and Diana plan the hike up Mount Kenya with Arthur and Diana's
friends, Saartje and Willem. They will be accompanied by an expert
local guide and porters, but Margaret dreads the climb. Her
trepidation escalates as Willem describes the many hazards of the
trek: physical dangers, medical side-effects, weather problems, and
so on.

On a practice run, Patrick and Arthur argue over the benefits
and detriment of imperialism, with Patrick insisting that changing
native lives has damaged them. Despite the argument, Margaret
enjoys a brief, blissful moment with the others, gazing around at
the glorious African countryside. Alas, this happy interlude will
be her last one with this group. She is suddenly attacked by fire
ants; their stings are so vicious that she must strip off her
clothing. Afterward, the ant bites leave her with lingering
physical and mental consequences. Even as the welts begin to heal,
she is faced with another much more dreadful scenario involving one
of Arthur and Diana's servants.

Despite foreboding and omens, the climb begins as planned. For
Margaret, it is one grueling torture after another, complicated by
one party's romantic interest in another, which results in aroused
jealous feelings. Margaret is the slowest climber in the group, and
must deal with differing degrees of contempt from the others
regarding her progress. However, this uncomfortable situation turns
instantly inconsequential when a sudden, shocking event occurs.
After the tragedy, Margaret becomes aware that one small and
innocent action on her part just might have instigated the
disaster.

The events on the mountain devastate Margaret. As she forces
herself eventually to make every effort to forge ahead with a
normal life, searching for and finding freelance work as a
photographer for a local newspaper, she continues to find her world
view changed and enlarged by Kenya. As the country's moral,
political, class and cultural issues challenge her viewpoint,
problems closer to home tip her foundation. It seems that the
tragedy on Mount Kenya is still affecting her life via a domino
effect that continues to reverberate throughout Margaret and
Patrick's marriage.

As always, Anita Shreve's characters are exquisitely wrought;
Margaret is a breathing, living and sympathetic woman. The plot
pace is well-honed and graced with vivid descriptions of the
African countryside and people. This tale detailing the aftermath
of extraordinary stresses on a marriage is yet another irresistible
page-turner from a fine storyteller.