Name: East of the Mountains
ISBN: 9781400032655

David Guterson

In a novel of personal discovery set against the backdrop of the Columbia Basin of central Washington, retired heart surgeon Ben Givens, suffering from terminal colon cancer, embarks on one final hunting odyssey through the American West. By the author of Snow Falling on Cedars. Reprint. 25,000 first printing.

East of the Mountains

Trevor Berrett

I was excited to read this book because I was so impressed by Snow Falling on Cedars. I also thought the basic premise of the book sounded fascinating--an old doctor is diagnosed with cancer and, having already lost his wife, decides to go on one last hunting trip where he would commit suicide. I really expected this to be a thought provoking read. But it was not. I was bored through most of it because the episodes seemed so contrived. It wasn't subtle when it should have been (the man's thoughts) and it was too subtle where it shouldn't have been (just who are these people he meets on his journey?). In the end, I still thought the subject was very interesting, but it just wasn't executed well here.