The Other Side of the Mountain - Part 2

by E.G. Valens

Vintage movie tie-in

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Memoir

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Karen Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story about Jill Kinmont, a skier who was favored to be in the 1956 Olympics. Unfortunately she fell while competing for a place in the olympics but broke her neck and severed her spinal cord. This continues her story from the first book. It shows some of her work in teaching and her relationship that built with her husband. It also shows how she lived her life as a quadriplegic and independent woman in a time where many schools were prejudiced against the handicapped teachers and many places were not handicapped accessible.

[Barbara Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sequel to The Other Side of the Mountain, the book about the life of Jill Kinmont, an American Olympic-potential skier who is paralyzed in a skiing accident. This book picks up about 18 years after the accident. The book is written a little like a Hollywood story, but it does show how much Kinmont did heroically with her life against major odds.

[Mad Woman in the Attic · Rating 2 out of 5]

A part of me wishes I had never read this book after watching the lovely film. For one thing, the author, for some reason, and I can't fathom why, did not develop the two main characters enough, and much of their story is very repetitive, in some ways childish for people as old as they were, and confusing in outcome. When it flashes through the reader's mind that the heroine, Jill Kinmont, would never have married John Boothe under normal circumstances, meaning, her childhood skiing accident and the consequences to her body, well, something is wrong with either the text or the real life circumstances. In this case, for me, it was both. The childish repetitive nature of the relationship, a tolerant, educated woman getting into verbal fights, over and over, with an intolerant, uneducated man did nothing for me and I found them embarrassing and too revealing psychologically. Why the author did this and the why Kinmont let it go through, I'll never really know .

Also, there was new knowledge about Kinmont that almost contradicted the first book and I really began to wonder about her how she psychologically faced her accident and the consequences at 18 years old in 1955. I feel pity for her but was baffled at times, especially in her comments on the first film. I do feel her life was an incredible journey and that she did the best that she could under strained circumstances. I do. And the first book was very good. However, this book never should have been written and was a money deal. And I suppose she needed the money.

But I never would have let it see the light of day. And I mean that.

[Diane Waddington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book and look into the continuing life of Jill Kinmont and Olympic caliber skier that was tragically hurt in a skiing accident, and became a complete paraplegic.

[Yaaresse · Rating 2 out of 5]

Seem to remember being given a bag of books that had both the original and this sequel in it. I remember it being what would not be called an "inspirational" story, but I also remember thinking it was fairly dull writing.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this after seeing the movie. Inspirational!

[Callie Norse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is another excellent read. It follows up with Jill Kinmont's life some years after Part 1.

I saw both movies...loved, loved, loved, them both!

I highly recommend it!