A Change in Altitude

By ANITA SHREVE

Published by Little, Brown in TPB on 1 November 2009 / RRP $38.99

A compelling novel about the fragility of marriage. In A Change in Altitude, Anita Shreve searches out the secrets at the core of our closest relationships and the ways in which lives can turn on the axis of a single catastrophic event.

Newlyweds Margaret and Patrick set off on a great adventure – a year living in Kenya in a dizzying and sometimes dangerous city. Shuttling between expat suburbs and squalid shantytowns, Margaret realizes there is a great deal she doesn’t know about the complex culture of her new home, and about her husband. The newlyweds eagerly take part in a climbing expedition to the summit of Mount Kenya. But during their arduous ascent a horrific accident occurs. In its aftermath, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how it has transformed her and her marriage, perhaps for ever.

When small actions have unintended, catastrophic consequences, where does responsibility lie, and can blame ever truly be laid to rest? With striking emotional intensity, A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy and the elusive nature of forgiveness.

Anita Shreve is the author of many acclaimed works, including Body Surfing, A Wedding in December, Light on Snow, Sea Glass, The Weight of Water. Testimony was her last book.

Praise for Testimony:

‘Testimony is a cautionary tale about consequences. It is also an affecting love story that leaves in its wake a haunting trail of ruined lives.’ – Otago Daily Times

‘All of the characters, even the most flawed, are portrayed with a good deal of compassion, revealing the heartbreaking consequences of a single reckless act.’ – Christchurch Weekend Press

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