Books with title East of the Mountains

From the author of Snow Falling on Cedars comes this bestselling novel about a dying man’s final journey through a landscape that has always sustained him and provided him with hope and challenges.When he discovers that he has terminal cancer, retired heart surgeon Ben Givens refuses to simply sit back and wait. Instead he takes his two beloved dogs and goes on a last hunt, determined to end his life on his own terms. But as the people he meets and the memories over which he lingers remind him of the mystery of life’s endurance, his trek into the American West becomes much more than a final journey.

A man plans a final journey into the Western wilderness in this “wonderful” novel by the New York Times–bestselling author of Snow Falling on Cedars (The Miami Herald). Mid-October is harvest time in the Columbia Basin of central Washington, a rich apple- and pear-growing region. Ben Givens, recently widowed, is a retired heart surgeon, once admired for his steadiness of hand, his precision, and his endurance. But now he has been diagnosed with terminal colon cancer. Ben has never been a man to readily accept defeat—but he is determined to avoid suffering, and to avoid being a burden. Accompanied by his two hunting dogs, he sets out on a trip, which he plans to end with an “accident.” Journeying into deserts, yawning canyons, dusty ranches, and vast orchards, however, he is unprepared for the persuasiveness of memory and the promise he made to his wife, Rachel, the love of his life, during World War II. Along the way Ben will meet some people who force him to think more about his worldview—a young couple, a drifter, a veterinarian, a rancher, a migrant worker—and just when he thinks there is no turning back, nothing to lose that wasn’t lost, his power of intervention is called upon and his very identity tested. “Wise and compassionate about the human predicament . . . A writer who delves into life’s moral complexities to arrive at existential truths.” —Publishers Weekly “Ben is deeply drawn and complexly sympathetic.” —Entertainment Weekly “Guterson draws compelling characters and creates a haunting sense of place and of humankind’s paradoxical relationship with the natural world; a passage describing a desperate encounter with a pack of Irish wolfhounds compares favorably with the best of Hemingway.” —Library Journal “Guterson possesses a remarkable gift for capturing people and places, etching them into the reader’s mind.” —USA Today

It is mid-October, 1997, harvest time in the Columbia Basin of central Washington state, a rich apple- and pear-growing region. Ben Givens, recently widowed, is a retired heart surgeon, once admired for his steadiness of hand, his precision, his endurance. He has terminal colon cancer. While Ben does not readily accept defeat, he is determined to avoid suffering rather than engage it. And so, accompanied by his two hunting dogs, he sets out through the mythic American West-sage deserts, yawning canyons, dusty ranches, vast orchards-on his last hunt. The main issues for Ben as a doctor had been tactical and so it would be with his death. But he hadn't considered the persuasiveness of memory-the promise he made to his wife Rachel, the love of his life, during World War II. Or life's mystery. On his journey he meets a young couple who are "forever," a drifter offering left-handed advice that might lessen the pain, a veterinarian with a touch only a heart surgeon would recognize, a rancher bent on destruction, a migrant worker who tests Ben's ability to understand. And just when he thinks there is no turning back, nothing to lose that wasn't lost, his power of intervention is called upon and his very identity tested. Full of humanity, passion, and moral honesty, East of the Mountains is a bold and beautiful novel of personal discovery.

Thorgal and his family are back in Europe, where pregnant Aaricia insists on giving birth in Northland. Unable to find a ship to sail north in winter, Thorgal sets off by land to find a drakkar. His trip takes him through the land of Saxegaard, Master of the Mountains, a ruthless warlord who terrorizes the surrounding country. He meets Torric, an escaped slave, and finds a strange ring in the ashes. An extraordinary adventure begins.

Wild Animals of The North creator, Dieter Braun, explores mountains of the world in his latest nonfiction picture book.Mountains have been the fascination (and sometimes the downfall) of adventurers and explorers throughout history. Meet the animal inhabitants of these rocky peaks, as well as the brave travelers who challenged their great heights. Climb into this immersive book and explore the top of the world, from the peaks of Kilimanjaro to the summit of Mount Everest. Revel in the lush illustrations by Wild Animals of The North creator, Dieter Braun, in this celebration of mountains all over the world.

‘This story of the death and reincarnation of a Tibetan woodcutter is a beautifully gentle look at one human being dealing with life’s choices and possibilities.’ —SLJ. ‘The impact of its peaceful message will reverberate long after the last page is read.’ —H. Outstanding Children's Books of 1987 (NYT)Best Illustrated Children's Books of 1987 (NYT)Notable 1987 Children's Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)1988 Choices (Association of Booksellers for Children)1987 Choices: The Year's Best Books (Publishers Weekly)1987 Children's Books (NY Public Library)

Life in the mountains as a ninja is not easy. When Sakuratoro, a legendary bandit feared by all, tries to wipe out all the ninjas from the face of the mountains, Kenimoto, a young man and son of the leader of the ninjas, must fight to save his and his friends' lives. Kenimoto learns what true courage and bravery is as he faces fear, enemies, and the constant threat of death.