Altitude Adjustment

May 1, 2014
In her memoir, Wyoming Arts Council Literature Fellowship winner Baptiste shares her lifelong fervor for the Teton Range. She had longed for the West and its wide sky since her early childhood. Her tight-knit Portuguese family, who expected her to marry and settle down at home in Massachusetts, wished she were content, while she dreamed that her husband might one day be willing to move. After an uncompromising 14-year marriage, Baptise found that the ranges of Wyoming still beckoned to her soul, which no longer agreed to be silent. She abruptly divorced her husband and took the financial risk of a temporary summer job at Grand Teton National Park. Spraying weeds and monitoring baby swans didn't immediately bring the satisfaction she expected, but as she adapted to her new independence, Baptiste found herself soaring among the peaks she adores, carrying her readers with her thanks to her evocative descriptions of landscapes and spot-on chronicling of emotional fragility. Baptiste's memoir is a great read for anyone making a fresh start or for nature lovers who want to spend time with a kindred spirit.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)