Descending: Love and Survival in the Rocky Mountains

by Julianne Q. Johnson

Bitter cold, little to eat, and the small plane lies in pieces. Jenny Lithart can depend on her theatre coworkers when they're on the stage, but they know nothing of survival in the Rocky Mountains. With Jenny's experience in the great outdoors, and director Tom's unflappable leadership, the group scrapes by while they await rescue. If rescue fails, Jenny must chose a hiking companion to blaze a trail to civilization to find help for her coworkers. Tom is as taciturn as he is intriguing, but Jenny fears he is the best choice. Jenny and Tom will learn about survival and each other in Descending.survival

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 23, 2016

Reviews

[Angelica Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book gripping, fascinating and heartwarming. It is a celebration of the human spirit and of love in all its iterations in the face of disaster and misfortune of epic proportions. Although the general tone is suspenseful and drama-filled, there are some hilarious passages and some of the most realistic dialogue I've ever read in a book. The beautiful love story that develops in such unlikely circumstances is icing on the cake.

Blown off course by a storm and a drunk pilot, a small Twin Otter plane crashes in a desolate spot high in the Rocky Mountains. The survivors are seven members of a small theatre company. There is impact shock and injuries to deal with, and the immediate need to procure shelter, food and water. The group are friendly colleagues, but the extreme predicament magnifies their individual characters and underlying conflicts. Although the members of the troupe are clever and capable people, the only one with any outdoor survival expertise is Jenny, the young wardrobe manager, from years of hiking and trail blazing with her brother.

Under her no-nonsense direction, the unfortunate travellers must use what is available from the wreck and the inhospitable terrain to ensure their physical survival until rescue arrives. It's early spring. The intense cold, lack of food, and starving wildlife all combine to create a nightmare scenario, but the greatest danger is waning morale as time passes and hope of rescue fades.

Julianne Johnson is a born storyteller, who dragged me onto that stark mountainside and made me feel every moment of the unfolding drama, from the small victories to the terrifying challenges, but especially the human life force that sustains the various protagonists throughout their ordeal. I loved the balanced narration. It reads like a real-life experience rather than embroidered fiction, and all of it is convincing and compelling. This is the first survival story I have actually enjoyed, and it is a book I will certainly read again.

[James Hollingsworth · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the crash site to Leadville is all well above 10,000 ft elevation. There are NO large oak trees, no fish but trout, no grizzles, no wolves, and no white tail deer (mule deer only). Author certainly knows little if anything about Colorado high country. She should have done some research. The above distracted from a good story.

[Lili Draguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good tense adventure story

Reading about love and survival in the Rocky Mountain was just as exciting as the cover blurb promised. Well paced, with plenty of realistic danger. I'd recommend this for any fans of survival stories/shows.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it

This would be a fabulous beach read or sitting in front of a fireplace with a glass of wine. A fairly easy read that doesn't require a lot of thought.