Beyond The Summit by Linda LaBlanc

A Review by Amy Rigsby

A gripping, gut-twisting expedition through the eyes of a porter reveals the heart and soul of Sherpas living in the shadows of Everest

Beyond The Summit is a beautifully written novel that will captivate readers from start to finish. Author, Linda LeBlanc, provides a unique opportunity for Mount Everest to be seen from the eyes of a Sherpa. In the first fiction written in the United States about Sherpa culture, LeBlanc reveals the heart and soul of these forgotten heros living in the shadows of Everest. From the notorious Lukla runway to the roof of the world, this story authentically depicts the Everest journey from a Sherpa’s perspective. Set in 1968, thirteen years after Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzig Norgay’s accent of Mount Everest, this multifaceted work paints a realistic picture of the Everest Region, Sherpa culture, and shows how western expeditions forever altered the lives of these simple people.

Beyond The Summit is a story about a young Sherpa, Dorje, who dreams to stand on the summit of Mount Everest as the great Tenzing Norgay before him. This desire that was born into his being as a young child imposes a paramount conflict. As an influx of tourists flood the remote Himalayan region, Dorje longs for what the modern world brings, even if it means abandoning his tradition and his father. In his quest to stand on top of the mountain that has seduced him since childhood, Dorje struggles not only against the violent storms of Everest but clashes with his father as old ways allude him.

Woven into this amazing journey is an incredible love affair that is birthed when the lives and dreams of Dorje and an American journalist, Beth, collide Dorje’s affair with Beth, who longs to study and write about the Sherpa people, unveils a love that few humans will ever experience. This gripping novel reveals the dreams and determination that are beyond the summit of Mount Everest. Beyond The Summit beautifully illustrates that the summit of Mount Everest is not a destination, it is a journey to the most sacred part of the human soul.

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