A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve

I read this novel before the holidays but with all the travelling and relaxing I didn’t have any time to make the post. I’m back at home and with the start of this New Year, I’m recommitted to reading a book a week.

Anita Shreve’s A Change in Altitude takes place in Kenya, Africa. It’s the story of a photojournalist, Margaret and her doctor husband, Patrick, who travel to Africa for Patrick’s research work. The couple drifts apart after a climbing trip to Mt. Kenya goes fatally wrong. Margaret's freelance work for a controversial newspaper, a handsome co-worker, and personal loss drive the couple further apart.

Besides the interesting travelogues there is nothing else appealing about the story. I was attracted to the title because I like to climb mountains and because my husband lived in Africa while in the Peace Corps and climbed Mt. Kenya. As I read the mountain climbing passages I kept checking in with my husband to see if her technical details were right on. Some were and some were not. She did nail the physical challenges of taking on that type of a climb. I also enjoyed reading The Pilot’s Wife, another Shreve book, so I thought this might be comparable. Wrong.

The story is shallow; it attempts to approach some evocative topics, like the political unrest in east Africa and the complexities of cultural differences, but falls short of any real meaningful message. The unraveling of the story line is choppy and lacks direction. It felt like I was reading Margaret’s dairy; her immature lessons of self-discovery and romantic dilemmas. I recommend you skip this one.

Sorry about the quick review but I’m still in a holidaze! Happy New Year!