East of the Mountains

March 29, 1999
Widower Ben Givens, a retired heart surgeon, has colon cancer. He plans one last hunting trip to the beloved Washington State orchard country of his boyhood, just him and his dogs--at the end of which he plans to kill himself. After all, he's a man who understands "the mortality of human beings." That's the tear-jerking setup of Guterson's follow-up to Snow Falling on Cedars, his acclaimed debut novel (and a big hit on audio). As Givens's simple plan goes unexpectedly awry--he crashes his car on a mountain road--he is led on an amazing soul-affirming odyssey. He is rescued by a beautiful young couple in their VW bus who ask nothing of him but his respect. Next, a journeyman hobo gives him marijuana to ease his cancer pain (and, as it turns out, expand his spiritual consciousness). Alone in the woods at last, he has a life-and-death showdown with a rogue landowner. Finally, his emergency doctoring skills are called on by Mexican migrant workers. The story, with its crisp action, works well on audio, coming across foremost as an adventure. Veteran narrator Herrmann plays up the sage qualities of his hero without milking the easy pathos of the situation too heavily. Simultaneous release with the Harcourt Brace hardcover.

The author of SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS serves up another atmospheric tale of the human condition in Washington state, this time with a doctor, Ben, who wants to commit suicide. Through adventures in the present and with flashbacks, we learn about his life and his most important choices. Narrator Don Hastings has a marvelous, deeply resonant voice that sets the mood perfectly. His calm, matter of-fact descriptions of Ben's preparations lure us into the story; then Hastings switches gears and uses a jauntier voice to tell us about love, war and medicine. He alters his pitch only slightly for female voices, correctly focusing on the literature, and reads Guterson's words with authority and meaning. Be warned, though, that the narrator does not announce tape or side numbers it's up to you to remember. R.I.G. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine