Every Lost Country

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.

Heighton has fashioned a rapid-fire, suspense-filled narrative based on an actual event. This is the remote, mountainous country where Nepal borders Tibet. Wade Lawson wants to be the first climber to scale the dangerous peak of Kyatruk and has assembled an expedition that includes Dr. Lewis Book and filmmaker Amaris McRae. His plans are disrupted when Chinese soldiers fire on a group of Tibetan refugees fleeing for the Nepali border and Book and McRae, crossing into Chinese territory to help the wounded, are taken prisoner. Despite these losses, Lawson pushes forward with his climb. Meanwhile, Book and McRae engage in a life and death struggle to care for the wounded Tibetans while in Chinese custody. Unavoidably, the novel makes a show more political statement, but this is a human drama that unfolds with the emotional urgency and riveting immediacy of cinema. show less