The Mountain Between us- Audiobook Review

Title: The Mountain Between Us

Author: Charles Martin

Narrator: George Newbern

Genre: Christian Fiction, Adventure/Survival

Audio Release Info: Random House Audio; June 1, 2010

Length: 9hrs 56 min

About the Book:

From the author of Where the River Ends, comes this page-turning story of love and survival.

On a stormy winter night, two strangers wait for a flight at the Salt Lake City airport.  Ashley Knox is an attractive, successful writer, who is flying East for her much anticipated wedding.  Dr. Ben Payne has just wrapped up a medical conference and is also eager to get back East for a slate of surgeries he has scheduled for the following day.   When the last outgoing flight is cancelled due to a broken de-icer and a forthcoming storm, Ben finds a charter plane that can take him around the storm and drop him in Denver to catch a connection.   And when the pilot says the single engine prop plane can fit one more, if barely, Ben offers the seat to Ashley knowing that she needs to get back just as urgently.   And then the unthinkable happens.  The pilot has a heart attack mid-flight and the plane crashes into the High Uintas Wilderness– one of the largest stretches of harsh and remote land in the United States.

Ben, who has broken ribs and Ashley, who suffers a terrible leg fracture, along with the pilot’s dog, are faced with an incredibly harrowing battle to survive.   Fortunately, Ben is a medical professional and avid climber (and in a lucky break, has his gear from a climb earlier in the week).  With little hope for rescue, he must nurse Ashley back to health and figure out how they are going to get off the mountain, where the temperature hovers in the teens.   Meanwhile, Ashley soon realizes that the very private Ben has some serious emotional wounds to heal as well.  He explains to Ashley that he is separated from his beloved wife, but in a long standing tradition, he faithfully records messages for her on his voice recorder reflecting on their love affair.  As Ashley eavesdrops on Ben’s tender words to his estranged wife she comes to fear that when it comes to her own love story, she’s just settling.  And what’s more: she begins to realize that the man she is really attracted to, the man she may love, is Ben.

As the days on the mountains become weeks, their survival become increasingly perilous.  How will they make it out of the wilderness and if they do, how will this experience change them forever?

Both a tender and page-turning read, The Mountain Between Uswill reaffirm your belief in the power of love to sustain us.

My Review:

Anyone else have a rule about reading the book before watching the movie? As soon as I saw the commercial for the movie I knew it was a book I would have to read. Talk about an emotional ride! I listened to the audio version of the book while I was at work and was doing my best to not cry or react out-loud.

In my opinion the narrator chosen for this book was an excellent choice. His voice was able to match the intensity of the content and easily captivated the listener. He was believable as if he were telling his own story and not a work of fiction.

The story itself gripped me right from the beginning. To say that it was intense would be an understatement. I can’t (and don’t want to) imagine living through the disaster the characters faced. I don’t want to give any details and be a spoiler but survival is no walk in the park for them.

A bit of a warning I’d share for this one has to do with some of the content. It’s Christian fiction but in my opinion some of it toed the line. Without giving too much detail, after finishing the book I actually understand how and why a lot of it was inserted. I’m also speaking more about comments made in the story rather than physical content. I share this more for parents or those who prefer squeaky-clean reads but otherwise wouldn’t consider it a huge deal.

This was a really intense listen and I’m looking forward to watching the movie now!

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