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    A Change in Altitude: A Novel
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    A Change in Altitude: A Novel
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    A Change in Altitude: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Change in Altitude: A Novel

    Written by Anita Shreve

    Narrated by Anna Stone

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    Margaret and Patrick have been married just a few months when they set off on what they hope will be a great adventure-a year living in Kenya. Margaret quickly realizes there is a great deal she doesn't know about the complex mores of her new home, and about her own husband.

    A British couple invites the newlyweds to join on a climbing expedition to Mount Kenya, and they eagerly agree. But during their harrowing ascent, a horrific accident occurs. In the aftermath of the tragedy, Margaret struggles to understand what happened on the mountain and how these events have transformed her and her marriage, perhaps forever.

    A Change in Altitude illuminates the inner landscape of a couple, the irrevocable impact of tragedy, and the elusive nature of forgiveness. With stunning language and striking emotional intensity, Anita Shreve transports us to the exotic panoramas of Africa and into the core of our most intimate relationships.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateSep 22, 2009
    ISBN9781600247651
    Unavailable
    A Change in Altitude: A Novel
    Author

    Anita Shreve

    Anita Shreve was a high school teacher and a freelance magazine journalist before writing fiction full time. She was the author of over fifteen novels as well as the international bestseller The Pilot’s Wife, and The Weight of the Water, a finalist for the Orange Prize. Shreve taught writing at Amherst College and lived in Massachusetts.

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    Reviews for A Change in Altitude

    3.5/5

    347 ratings44 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I really liked the theme of this book Consequences of being unprepared for a strenuous mountain climb can have tragic consequences and how our thoughts and actions affect each other for good or bad. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I'm looking forward to reading more.
    • 3/5
      I wouldn't say this is Anita Shreve's best. I've read nearly all of her books. This one seems a bit contrived. An easy, quick read but not memorable.
    • 4/5
      raw and real look at a marriage and at living in a foreign country. I really liked Margaret and her take on life in Africa.However, I really did not like the ending.
    • 4/5
      The last few books by Anita Shreve I've read have seemed a bit wishy-washy compared to her earlier work. This seemed much meatier, it revolves around the lives of a young American couple working in Kenya with some interesting looks at the culture of an expatriate society and it's interactions with the local society, and the book was more enjoyable on the whole as a result of covering a more substantial topic. The pacing seemed a bit odd to start with, I fell asleep twice in the first handful of pages... which doesn't sound good but it worked out okay. I don't want to give away even as much as the blurb on the back of my copy does, but there is a "before" and an "after" to this story and the slow start is more-or-less necessary to set the "before" part up.
    • 5/5
      Margaret and Patrick are married a couple of months and embark on what they hope will be a life-changing adventure - a year living in Kenya. Margaret soon realizes that there are mores that she doesn't understand about her new country and her new husband. When a British couple invites them to go mountain-climbing they eagerly accept. There is an horrific accident that takes place on the mountain and the ramifications shake Margaret to her core and makes her question her marriage and changes her, perhaps forever.I really got hooked on this book. It is very well-written and thought-provoking. I give it an A+!
    • 4/5
      A Change in Altitude was interesting but not one of my favorites by Anita Shreve. The story is about a husband and wife living in Africa. Patrick is a doctor and working with a local hospital in Africa and doing free clinics. Margaret went with him but doesn't have a job to begin with.I found some of the story interesting and wanting to continue and other parts just wanting to skip over. Patrick and Margaret are living in an adjoining house with another couple. I found that couple to be some what annoying. They decide to climb this mountain and something awful happens that causes a rift between Patrick and Margaret.I found myself wondering through most of the book if Patrick and Margaret would stay married, if either one had an affair and if maybe they just weren't meant to be together.
    • 2/5
      I liked her writing style, but the plot devices seemed forced and the initial decision to climb the mountain seemed foolhardy at best. But it did keep me reading until the end.
    • 3/5
      The main character, Margaret, needs a good shaking. You could say I had a difficult time empathsizing with her. Margaret and Patrick are newly married and move to Kenya where he is researching tropical diseases. Some friends invite them along on a mountain climb in which one of the party dies and Margaret may be to blame. This tests her marriage, but Margaret maintains her innocence. As she and her husband grow more distant, Margaret's head is turned by a co-worker at a newspaper where shw works as a photographer. By the end of the novel, her marriage is in shreds, but Margaret conquers the mountain. I wish Shreve had given our heroine a backbone and had spent more time developing the plot line in which the Kenyan political climate of the day (1970s?) was more fully explored. THAT is the story here, not poor dumb Margaret being whippeted about.
    • 4/5
      This was my first Anita Shreve book. I enjoyed it so much that now I am a fan and will look for her other books. The feel of Kenya's wildlife and different tribe's cultures were made the book very rich. I was a little hesitant to read this book because of the scenes of climbing Mount Kenya as I have acrophobia and would not want to attempt any climb. I also had recently read several books about the violence of the different wars in Africa. I also had recently read several books about the violence of the different wars in Africa. Instead this book centered on a newly married couple and their friends and colleagues temporally in Kenya and their relationships between each other and Margaret inner relationship with herself. Diane,one of the couples in the first mountain climb said that trouble comes in threes an old adage that I had always heard and experienced. I was wondering along with the main character Margaret when the third trouble would come. I don't want to give too much away so I won't tell much of the story. But there were several things to ponder in this book. One was risky behavior. What would make you try it and what would be the consequences? Another has to do with marriage. What can one partner expect from the spouse and if the marriage goes wrong, do you leave it or take extraordinary steps to save it. How is infidelity defined? What if the two partners in marriage define fidelity differently? I thought that characters, especially Margaret were very well developed. We were able to follow her feelings all the way through the book. The last sentence in the book was truly beautiful. It didn't come out and say what Margaret was thinking but in just a few words, Anita Shreve had Margaret speak volumes of what she had achieved and the state of her emotional wellbeing. I loved this book. I would recommend it to all of Anita Shreve's fans and all those who like to question themselves.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed the introspection and the experiences of an American woman in Kenya with her doctor husband.
    • 5/5
      great atmosphere. you feel you are in Africa. interesting character. Noby is fully good or fully bad. interesting twist in the story. I like the open end. after THE WEIGHT OF WATER, I foudn this audio book and was drwn into the story again by Anita Shreve.
    • 2/5
      I kept waiting for something to happen. I read all the way to the end, but ... sigh.
    • 4/5
      Young and newly married, Margaret and Patrick go to Kenya to live and work. New friends Arthur and Diana invite then to hike Mount Kenya with another couple. When the climb results in a horrific accident, Margaret has to face the repercussions of her actions. Was she to blame? Margaret thinks not and is stunned that Patrick thinks she is. Further actions on her part lead the reader to see that she really does need a change in altitude and attitude.
    • 3/5
      Not as good as others I have read. I didn't like the ending either. The best thing about it was the feeling of being in Africa.oldstick.
    • 2/5
      Disappointing. The characters lack depth which reflects who they are but nothing to learn from them.
    • 3/5
      Not one of her best. I did not buy all of the guilt issues which means the plot did not really work. ut still plenty of sultry atmosphere to enjoy.
    • 3/5
      Although I absolutely loved the Pilot's Wife; this one was not as good but it was an easy read. The depiction of Kenya was wonderful and visual. The overall story, not so.Feels like Anita dropped too much from the original story at editing, something was definitely missing here. Ended up in the air. Not satisfied at the end.
    • 4/5
      The reviews of A Change in Altitude are mixed but I thoroughly enjoyed it (as I have enjoyed all of Ms Shreve's books to date). This is a very good story. The description of events and the character development that precede the sudden tragic accident on the ascent of Mt Kenya are skillfully set out. The book comforted and entertained me on a long flight. I am a dedicated fan of Ms Shreve.
    • 2/5
      Didn't like the writing, characters, unbelievable, able to figure out what will happen...not very good
    • 3/5
      Margaret and Patrick marry not long after meeting in part because Patrick has planned to move to Kenya to study infectious diseases. This puts them both in many peculiar positions, but that is particularly true of Margaret. She has not come to Kenya with a purpose and, when she pursues her previous career as a photographer, her husband treats her endeavors in a rather paternalistic manner. It is difficult for a white female American to function independently in Kenya and Margaret often finds herself reliant on the male characters she encounters. This dependence makes it hard for me to sympathize with her as a character. On the other hand, the strongest woman character is portrayed as very unpleasant, and her pushiness is her undoing. I do wonder if that's the point Shreve is trying to make: it is extremely challenging for a woman to be her own person and this can be seen more clearly in a social context where women often require protection. I did not consider this Shreve's best, although it is worth the read. An interesting aspect of it is the interplay of Kenya's diverse populations.
    • 2/5
      I had a hard time getting into this book, but I was able to finish it.
    • 4/5
      Shreve's fiction can be very very good or occasionally pretty bad; this, oddly, was just about in the middle. The plot moved along very well, from a climb on Mt Kenya through marital problems and a compelling relationship, so I was able to move along through writing that just didn't seem up to her usual standards. A good read, though, till the end, which was predictable, unbelievable, and contrived.
    • 3/5
      I have read books of Anita Shreve's that I liked. I really liked Testimony for example and I had high hopes for this one but for me it did not live up to the praise given to it on the back on the book. The story started off well and I was interested but in the latter part of the book I felt it became disjointed and superficial The ending to me was a real let down as I feel it did not resolve things and seemed very sudden. Not one I would really recommend.
    • 2/5
      A mish-mash of stereotypes and parade of characters that flow past the Margaret character. Arrogant ex-pats, bloodied but unbowed poor people, mountain guides that can communicate with the mountain spirits, a smoking hot Italian work colleague for the husband, hot-eyed romance material in her job (with extra moral scruples), snarling, dog-raising ex-pat woman. Give me a break already.
    • 5/5
      Margaret and Patrick are the main characters in this novel. Although Margaret and Patrick are married, their interests are different. Margaret is a photojournalist while Patrick's interest is medicine. The one goal they have in common is to climb Mt. Kenya. Subconsciously, they might have thought such a virtuous goal would save their marriage. I did not take long before I could see a change in altitude, a change of place is not necessarily the way to better understand or love a person more deeply.Mt. Kenya ruled by the African's Ngai becomes the truth teller. To me, mt. Kenya served as a guide and interpreter to all of the characters desires and motives. Mt. Kenya with its icy glacier, sun so hot it could burn and chasms so deep there seemed to be no end stripped bare all masks, all lies and/or all pretenses. I really became deeply involved with the Mountain. Thankful I was not one of the climbers. I think out of all the climbers in the group, during the two treks up the mountain, Margaret seemed the weakest. Although, Diana dies, she is not a weak person. She's stubborn and a know it all and very assertive.Diana and all Anita Shreve's characters are fascinating. Whatever you think might happen to one person might not occur to that person. In other words, the book is full of surprises. For example, I was never prepared for any of the tragedies that struck Patrick, Margaret, Adhiambo. For me, Anita Shreve in "A Change of Altitude" is suggesting that life and people are not stable but both are ever changing like the weather. The novel made me feel smaller, more humble while the people of Africa, the Masai, and Mt. Kenya, the Leopard and Mamba snake became larger than life and able to conquer any one who dared come to close to their terrain.I feel Anita Shreve left an open field for any person to make a philosophical guess or statement about the continent of Africa and those who dare to try to tame it.Also there is always the silence hanging over this place and the people whether native born or expatriates. Learning that silence is golden keeps some of the people alive and free. Break the barrier of silence and someone will gladly destroy you. Margaret learns about this dilemma when she hears whispers about African students murdered and mass graves." There is constant tension. Should I speak or remain silent? I could feel these dark clouds of fear throughout the book. There is constant suspense. Who will survive? Who will not survive? Whether on flat land or on the mountain that choice has to be made by every person.Anita Shreve with the quiet beauty of her words led me to the summit of Mt. Kenya. She writes in almost a sacred way. Did I imagine all those dangers or did I truly just come through a traumatic experience?
    • 4/5
      Before I even read this book, I had already noticed several mixed reviews. I have found that for the most part, I usually enjoy Shreve's work so I decided to give this one a shot. Although I will confess that this book wasn't one of my favorites by Shreve, I did find some enjoyment throughout the pages. Margaret and Patrick are newlyweds that have decided to start their lives off together by spending some time in Africa. As a doctor Patrick finds himself very busy and working quite long hours, while Margaret is a photojournalist and was not working for quite some time after they arrived in Africa so she found herself getting quite frustrated with her mundane lifestyle. They don't have many friends in the area, so after being alone all day Margaret is starving for people to be with. So it really wasn't a surprise when after meeting Arthur and Diana they dive right into a friendship with people they hardly know for the feeling of companionship.After several outings together, the two couples decide to take on the challenge of climbing Mount Kenya together. Little do they know that climbing this mountain will change all of their lives forever. After the tragedy on the mountain they return to their lives in a way that pushes the events of the climb to the far recesses of their minds. Even though Patrick doesn't want to talk about what happened on the mountain, Margaret is haunted by the memory and can't understand why she can't seem to go on with her life when the others don't seem to have a problem.One thing that I have always liked about Shreve's writing is that she always seems to spin a story about realistic people. I can't say that I liked Margaret or Patrick's characters, but I think that is one of the reasons that I did enjoy this book. In real life I don't like everyone that crosses my path, so why would I expect that in a book? I do admit that I would have liked to get to know Margaret a bit more throughout the story. But then when I consider how young Margaret actually was in the story, I can't help but ask myself how much more could she have offered as a character?Throughout the story Margaret struggles with the guilt that the tragedy on the mountain was her fault. It doesn't help when her husband openly admits that he also blames her for the events that took place. For me, this story was about Margaret finding her true self by seeking forgiveness mostly from her own mind and emotions. It is only when she accepts herself that she will be able to move on and find her place in this world.
    • 3/5
      In this latest effort, Shreve sticks to her general formula- how one moment, one decision can forever change a life. Margaret and Patrick are a young newlyweds living in Africa when a tragic moment on a mountain climb with their landlords causes a rift from which their marriage may never recover. The book covers the year following the actions on the mountain, and traces the efforts Margaret makes to rediscover her life and her love. The book was well-written, and the flavor of expat life in Africa came through beautifully, but I just found it impossible to connect to the characters. Margaret seemed to be drifting through life, never really making choices about the things that most impact her. Patrick was not sympathetically drawn- I for one could not figure out why Margaret married him and followed him to Kenya, let alone why she was interested in saving her marriage to him. Even at the end, I just didn't care one way or the other about how the story turned out which is never a good sign. Perhaps this book wouldn't have been so disappointing if I hadn't recently finished the absolutely incredible Testimony where the characters so truly touched me that the story continues to resonate. In contrast, A Change in Altitude left me cold; not one of Shreve's best efforts.
    • 4/5
      This is the story of Patrick and Margaret, newlyweds who have moved to Africa where Patrick can do his medical research. It talks of their trials and tribulations while learning the ways of life in a foreign nation. The story also deals with different events that test the strength of their marriage. The end definitely leaves the outcome of whether or not they remain married open to interpretation.It was obvious that the two were in love, but Ms. Shreve leaves me wondering how passionate their love really was. There is just not enough there for me to feel that they just can't live without each other. That seems to be her style in most of the books I've read by her. I do, however like this book very much and would recommend it to others.
    • 4/5
      My body was sitting on the beach at Topsail Island, North Carolina but my mind was transported to the dusty streets of Nairobi before the seasonal rains while reading A Change of Altitude. It was not surprising to learn Anita Shreve once lived in Kenya. Only someone who lived there could capture the moral questions that come up when living in a country different from your own.A Change of Altitude is about Margaret, a newlywed who lives with her husband, Patrick, in Kenya. He's a doctor doing research on tropical diseases. She's at a bit of a loss on how to spend her time since the move. Margaret was a reporter in Boston and now feels purposeless. Patrick and Margaret are invited to climb Mount Kenya with two other couples. An accident during the climb changes the course of their marriage.This book can easily be a book club favorite if readers are brave enough to pick it up. The events make Margaret ask some hard questions about herself and her marriage. Although the average reader won't have lived in another country where the customs are different, many of the feelings and doubts expressed by Margaret have been felt by someone in a relationship. There are the normal marriage questions such as whether or not to have children, if children are in the future then when would be a good time to start trying and the harder questions such as which characteristics in my mate can be overlooked and which ones should I confront him/her about? It can make the reader ask those questions of themselves and some readers will find they aren't ready for those answers.
    • 4/5
      This is definitely one of my favorite books of Shreve's. It was an interesting look at marriage and the trials that come with it. Dealing with a tragedy on a new marriage is difficult and Shreve did a great job at portraying that in this book. I loved the characters and so wished I could have read more about them. Maybe she will write another book with them as I would love to read more of their story. For now I have to use my imagination to see what would happen to them next. I will definitely be recommending this book.