Between a Rock and a Hard Place

Aron Ralston recounts his own dramatic survival story in the desert canyons of Utah. While climbing, Aron falls, trapping his hand under a massive boulder. Stranded for almost a week, Aron gives us a glimpse into his psyche during this harrowing experience, as well as a full retelling of his rescue and the steps he took to make it happen. He captures well his frustrations at his predicament, and his pacing is excellent. Even knowing the ending, his reading is suspenseful enough to keep the listener riveted, and his unpolished, guy-next-door presentation makes for an interesting, though graphic, escape. H.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine

November 1, 2004
Ralston's story is one of the most gut-wrenching and compelling real-life adventures in recent years: in early 2003, the avid rock-climber and outdoorsman became trapped in a Utah mountain canyon when an 800-pound boulder pinned his right arm. He spent six days there, fighting both the physical challenges of pain and dehydration, and the psychological horror that eroded his hope and energy. Eventually, he amputated his own arm with his pocket knife in order to gain his freedom. It's a truly remarkable story, and hearing Ralston retell it is alternately fascinating and unbearable. After a brief setup that details his life as an adventurer, he arrives at his moment of horror, walking the listener in painstaking detail through everything he felt and thought; his honest and blunt language (" 'What are you doing, Aron? Get that knife away from your wrist!' I feel vaguely ill... my vision blurs in a nauseating swirl"), paired with his direct and non-sensational delivery, wrap the listener in a mental blanket of claustrophobia. Although squeamish listeners might find this audio presentation too overwhelming, it's a riveting document of one man's extraordinary trial. Simultaneous release with the Atria hardcover (Forecasts, Aug. 9).