The Bottom Line
A Change in Altitude by Anita Shreve tells the story of a young married couple who move to Kenya in the 1970s. The tragedies they experience--both major and minor--forever change their marriage. Shreve paints a quiet, detailed picture of daily Kenyan life and the struggles of a marriage. A Change in Altitude is an enjoyable and quietly moving read.
Pros
- The world of expats living in Kenya in the 1970s is interesting and absorbing.
Cons
- Some of the decisions characters make towards the end of the novel are implausible.
Description
- 'A Change in Altitude' by Anita Shreve was published in September 2009.
- Publisher: Little, Brown
- 320 pages
Guide Review - 'A Change in Altitude' by Anita Shreve - Book Review
A Change in Altitude changes location from most of Anita Shreve's previous bestsellers, including Testimony and Fortune's Rocks, which tend to take place in New England. Margaret and Patrick, the couple at the center of A Change in Altitude, move from the East Coast to Kenya in the 1970s for Patrick's medical work. Many of Shreve's other trademarks carry through to her latest novel, including the focus on reactions after a tragedy, and the quiet changes in a marriage.
Margaret and Patrick make friends with fellow ex-pats and sign up to climb Mount Kenya despite Margaret's lack of experience and training. Shreve does an excellent job building subtle tension towards the climb, which will change things forever. Events that follow are not quite as compelling, though, and by the end of the novel the story line loses some of its power in implausible choices and events.
Ultimately, A Change in Altitude is a rare kind of novel that is simultaneously finely wrought and page-turning. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
