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Look Inside | Reading Guide
Reading Guide
Jul 13, 2010 | ISBN 9780307276421 Buy
Jul 14, 2009 | ISBN 9780307272010 Buy
Jul 14, 2009 | 563 Minutes Buy
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Jul 13, 2010 | ISBN 9780307276421
Jul 14, 2009 | ISBN 9780307272010
Jul 14, 2009 | ISBN 9780739383674
563 Minutes
Over the course of thirteen long days, twelve assorted passengers, three rafting guides and one stray dog will navigate the rapids of the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon together. From their early-morning rise on the shore of the river to the adrenaline rush of paddling through Lava Falls, they will soon come to know each other more intimately than they could have expected. Tempers will flare and decisions will be second-guessed . . . and ultimately all of them, from an unhappy teenager to an aging river guide, will realize that sometimes the most daunting adventures have nothing to do with white-water rapids, and everything to do with reconfiguring the rocky canyons of the heart.
From the author of The Abortionist’s Daughter, a gripping new novel about a rafting trip through the Grand Canyon that changes the lives of everyone on board.Meet Peter, twenty-seven, single, and looking for a quick hookup; Evelyn, a fifty-year-old Harvard professor; and Ruth and Lloyd, river veterans in their seventies. There’s Mitchell, an overeager history buff with no qualms about upstaging the guides with his knowledge. There’s Jill from Salt Lake City, wanting desperately to spark some sense of adventure in her staid Mormon family; and seventeen-year-old Amy, so woefully overweight that she can barely fit into a pup tent, let alone into a life jacket.Guiding them all is JT Maroney, who loves the river with all his heart and who, having made 124 previous trips down the Colorado, thinks he has seen everything. But on their first night, a stray dog wanders into their campsite, upsetting the tentative equilibrium of this makeshift family. Over the next thirteen days, as various decisions are second-guessed and sometimes regretted, both passengers and guides find that sometimes the most daunting adventures on a Colorado River trip have nothing to do with white-water rapids, and everything to do with reconfiguring the rocky canyons of the heart.
Elisabeth Hyde is the author of five critically acclaimed novels, most recently In the Heart of The Canyon, a New York Times Editor’s Choice and a People magazine Great Read. Her fourth novel, The Abortionist’s Daughter, became a bestseller in… More about Elisabeth Hyde
“[An] incredible journey. . . . Hyde paddles us through . . . [while] her characters open up to one another and to themselves.”—The New York Times Book Review“An excellent armchair adventure. . . . Hyde vividly portrays both the wonders and horrors of white-water rafting.”—The Boston Globe“A near perfect blend of humor and drama, heartbreak and redemption.”—The Dallas Morning News“Hyde has a keen eye for social dynamics, but she’s just as good at keeping the adrenaline pumping. . . . She expertly evokes the thrill and terror of rapid-running. . . . A bracing ride.”—People “A fast-paced trip down the Colorado River. . . . Hyde hints at adventure around every bend in the river . . . and she delivers. . . . The book is a pleasing mix of travelogue and psychological exploration.”—Seattle Times “A poignant, first-rate story.”—The Denver Post “Hyde scores a bull’s-eye with her fifth novel. . . . An engrossing, evocative study of human behavior, especially under duress. . . . A great read for hot summer days and cool nights.”—The Durango Herald (Colorado) “An astute, engrossing, character-driven affair. . . . The novel succeeds as both a study of strangers striving toward a common goal and as a suspenseful drama filled with angst and humanity. Hyde outshines herself with this wild ride.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) “Hyde writes with subtle humor and with such expertise that readers will feel as if they’re in the raft with her. . . . In this book, it’s not the finale that will win you. It’s the journey.”—The Arizona Republic “There’s nothing predictable about either Hyde’s plot or her searing conclusion.”—Entertainment Weekly “Hyde writes evocatively. . . . Her sense of place and descriptive ability are as bright as the Arizona sun.”—Houston Chronicle “Realistically suspenseful. . . . In the Heart of the Canyon is perfect summer reading.”—The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) “Many things can happen on those wild-river trips, things that novelists manage to turn into great fiction. Here’s a new twist on the scenario . . . a ride below the Grand Canyon that promises adventure aplenty.”—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “The group dynamics on a trip like this are fascinating, and the book is another winner.”—The Toronto Sun “Beach reads abound, but few are as well written as In the Heart of the Canyon. . . . Think romantic trysts and a seismic surprise—[it] will hold you rapt.”—Self Magazine “It is unlikely you will soon forget your traveling companions.”—Newark Star-Ledger “This finely wrought page-turner will keep you on a wild ride for all 226 miles. You won’t want to put it down.”—Page Lambert, author of In Search of Kinship
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