{"product_id":"mysterium-9781250214928","title":"Mysterium","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA BBC Summer Read\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\"Must-read . . . [\u003ci\u003eMysterium\u003c\/i\u003e] ascends, literally and figuratively, vividly capturing the outer edge of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual travail.\" \u003cb\u003e--\u003ci\u003eThe Washington Post\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eInspired by the true story of Nanda Devi Unsoeld's tragic 1976 death while climbing her namesake mountain, Susan Froderberg's novel \u003ci\u003eMysterium\u003c\/i\u003e tells the tale of a courageous woman's ascent to the summit of India's highest peak to honor her fallen mother. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMysterium, known as Mount Sarasvati, looms over the Indian Himalayas as the range's tallest peak in the dazzling fictional world Susan Froderberg has created. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eSarasvati \"Sara\" Troy is determined to reach the peak for which she was christened, and to climb it in honor of her mother, who perished in a mountaineering accident when Sara was just a child. She asks her father, a celebrated mountaineer and philosophy professor, to organize and lead the expedition.The six climbers he recruits are an uneasy mix. They include his longtime friend Dr. Arun Reddy, a recent widower, and Reddy's son, who often challenges his father; Wilder Carson, the acclaimed climber who is tormented by the death of his brother; Wilder's wife, Vida, a former lover of Dr. Reddy; and the distinguished scholar of climbing Virgil Adams and his wife, Hillary. Porters and Sherpas are recruited in India to assist and be part of the team. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe party's journey is harrowing, taking them from the mountain's gorge, into its sanctuary, and finally onto the summit, a path that evokes the hell, purgatory, and heaven of Dante's \u003ci\u003eInferno\u003c\/i\u003e. As the air thins and this unforgettable journey unfolds, Sara emerges as a Beatrice-like figure, buoying her companions up the mountain through the sheer strength and beauty of her being. Both monumental quest and dreamlike odyssey, \u003ci\u003eMysterium \u003c\/i\u003eis infused with the language of climbing and profound existential insight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Picador USA\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 08\/13\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781250214928\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 288\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.60lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 4.80w x 0.80d","brand":"Susan Froderberg","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43799799824565,"sku":"9781250214928","price":18.69,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_b59a2dae-7b94-4cfb-a380-5979231a3c35.jpg?v=1711478650","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/mysterium-9781250214928","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}