 |
Near the top of Mount Everest, on May 10, 1996, eight climbers died. It was the worst tragedy in the mountain's history. Lou Kasischke was there. AFTER THE WIND tells the harrowing story of what went wrong, as it has never been told before --- including why the climbers were so desperately out of time as the rogue storm struck. His personal story, captured in the title AFTER THE WIND, tells about the intense moments near the top. These moments also revealed the love story that saved his life.
In the spring of 1996, Lou Kasischke joined renowned climber Rob Hall's Mount Everest expedition. When he said goodbye to his wife, Sandy, he knew he faced major physical and mental challenges against rock, snow, ice, avalanches and extreme high altitude to climb the highest mountain in the world.
What Lou didn't know was that he also stood at the threshold of a living hell. Six weeks later near the top, things went wrong. Lou and his fellow climbers faced a challenge even greater than the mountain --- the internal struggle about what to do when you are close but out of time. There were no second chances. Decisions were made. Some lived. Some died. It was the worst tragedy in Mount Everest history.
Lou wrote his account of the events 16 years ago in the aftermath of the tragedy, but only now is he ready to let it go. He tells two stories. One is about the historic events. His perspective and analysis about what happened and what went wrong have never been told, and his account differs markedly from what others have written. The truth in the story depends on who is telling it.
Lou also tells a very personal story about how he came back home. An inspiring story about where to go for inner strength when facing a tough decision. A story about his wife Sandy's part in his survival. A story about what he heard, after the wind --- the voice of the heart. A love story.
Books to Screen News: Everest, a feature film starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Keira Knightley, Jason Clarke, Robin Wright, John Hawkes, Emily Watson and Sam Worthington, was released on September 18th in 27 countries in North America, South America and Europe. Asia and Australia will follow. Universal retained Lou Kasischke as a consultant on the film; his part is played by Mark Derwin.
"Back in 1996, there was a climb on Everest that was fraught with problems; in fact, until 2014, when an avalanche hit and killed 16, it was the deadliest recorded day and year on the mountain. The recent Nepal earthquake again tapped this area and resulted in 18 deaths. It was --- and still is --- a big story about a climbing Mecca. Lou is a seasoned climber; a list of the other peaks he climbed in the back of the book is impressive. Thus his perspective on what went right --- and wrong --- intrigued me. His wife's faxes to him and his replies lent a very personal tone to the story. The book is full of wonderful illustrations and easy-to-follow maps that gave me insight into the story. I literally read it in a day but keep thinking about it." - Carol Fitzgerald, Bookreporter.com
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to visit the book's official website.
|
