Dixon, Descending
by Karen Outen
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"Compelling."--The Boston Globe
"Poignant...heartbreaking."--The Christian Science Monitor
"This one hits hard."--Publishers Weekly
When Nate suggests that they attempt to be the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest, his younger brother Dixon can't refuse. The two are determined to prove something--to themselves and to each other.
Dixon interrupts his orderly life as a school psychologist, leaving behind disapproving friends, family, and one particularly fragile student. Once on the mountain, Nate and Dixon are met with extreme weather conditions, oxygen deprivation, and precarious terrain. But as much as they've prepared for this, Mt. Everest is always fickle. And in one devastating moment, Dixon's world is upended.
Dixon returns home and attempts to resume his job, but things have shifted: for him and for the students he left behind. Ultimately, Dixon must confront the truth of what happened on the mountain and come to terms with who can and cannot be saved. Dixon, Descending offers us a captivating, shattering portrait of the ways we're reshaped by our decisions--and what it takes to angle ourselves, once again, toward hope.
"Outen understands first-class human drama."
--Gabriel Bump, author of The New Naturals
"The most engulfing, transporting, deeply humane novel I've read in ten years."
--Monica Wood, author of How to Read a Book
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Book Details
- ISBN
- 9780593473474
- Binding
- Paperback
- Authors
- Karen Outen
- Publisher
- Dutton
- Published Date
- February 4, 2025
- Language
- English
- Pages
- 336
- Physical Info
- 7.8 in L x 5.2 in W (0.95 lb)
I can't believe I waited so long to pluck this one from by TBR pile! I had fairly low expectations, but this book blew me away. Once I started I could not put it down. The depth and layers had me wanting to keep digging. The intersectionalities at play could have become a very clunky, forced narrative, but this one flows beautifully.
RECOMMEND.
Thank you for writing this amazing story about dreams and fears and losses and healing. It took me about a month when I usually read a book in a day because, like Mount Everest, it commanded thought and reflection. It commanded pain and suffering but offered so much in exchange. I am filled with appreciation of the quest but changed by it, too. For the better. Thank you.
Dixon, Descending is one of those books that sneaks up on you. Full disclosure, I have close to zero interest in mountain climbing. It sat on my nightstand for a while and when I finally cracked it open, I was HOOKED and read it in one day! Outen weaves an unexpected page-turner so full of humanity. In storytelling that is by turns suspenseful and heartbreaking, the reader is immersed in Dixon's world of missed opportunity, family and workplace dynamics and so much longing. A uniquely American story by a gifted writer.P.S. Can we talk about how great the comma in the title is?
What a powerful, absorbing story! I thoroughly loved this book. I’ve read numerous books about treks up Everest, so I was curious how someone might write about it as a novel. Even given the extraordinary amount of research author Karen Outen did in preparing to write this book, it blows my mind that someone who has never ascended Everest herself could write about it so realistically.And yes, this is a story of Everest, but it’s so much more than a “mere” mountain-climbing story -- and in ways I never anticipated. This story about Dixon and his brother before and especially after the climb totally drew me in -- I don’t think I’ve never felt such empathy for characters who are entirely fictional.It occurred to me as I read this book that few of the nonfiction accounts of Everest describe what the climbers experienced after returning, especially if they were unable to summit, sustained a major injury, or worst of all, had members of their team die. This story, fictional though it is, shows that as overwhelming as the ascent of Everest can be, the return to normal life can be much more so.I recommend this book for anyone who likes to be drawn in by powerful stories well told, whether or not you’re interested in Everest, mountain climbing, or for that matter, outdoor activities of any kind. I’m looking forward to Karen Outen’s next book.
