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Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy | 
 enlarge | Author: Karen James
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Category: Book
List Price: $24.99
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Rating:  13 reviews
Sales Rank: 2444
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 256
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 1595551751
Dewey Decimal Number: 910
EAN: 9781595551757
ASIN: 1595551751
Publication Date: November 11, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
A journey of adventure, tragedy, love, and loss on the summit of Mt. Hood. In December 2006, millions of people across the world prayed and waited in anguish to learn the fate of 3 climbers trapped on Mt. Hood. The worst storm in the last decade was pounding the mountain with hurricane-force winds that would not permit the army of rescue workers to do their work. No one below could forget the last phone call Kelly James placed to his wife, telling her that he was trapped in a snow cave just below the summit. What happened next would change the lives of everyone involved and deeply touch millions of people who desperately hoped to see a Christmas miracle. For more than a week, the search dominated the news as family members huddled below, praying for the climbers' safe return. But the story did not end when Kelly James's body was airlifted off the mountain and the cameras stopped rolling. For Karen, the year after Kelly's death was spent searching for answers to what really happened on the mountain. In this journey of adventure, tragedy, love and loss, she reveals never-released information about the fateful climb and behind-the-scenes details of how the family coped with the shocking news.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 8 more reviews...
 A study in tragedy, grief and faith. November 20, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Now, if like me you were otherwise occupied in 2006 (we were completely tied up in our own problems at the time and not watching the news) you may have missed the incident related in Holding Fast: The Story of the Mt. Hood Tragedy. Three climbers became trapped on Mt. Hood and there was an intensive search for them, hoping to find them while they were still alive.
It didn't work out that way.
This book was written by the widow of Kelly James, the man whose body was the first to be found. The second wife of Mr. James, Karen James relates how she met Kelly, their seemingly charmed relationship, their professional successes and Kelly's hobby of climbing - and how it all led to that fateful day that he didn't come home. Then she discusses the details of the incident itself, and its aftermath.
It's somewhat hard to be objective about this book and discuss it from a reviewer's standpoint because I found it so emotionally-charged. Plus, how do you criticize a woman discussing her husband's death? Is there any way to discuss possible faults of this book without being a complete and utter jerk?
Let me try.
As I said, this book is so emotionally charged that it's hard for me to get perspective on it. It's very painful to read. I'm not saying that as a criticism of the style or technique of the writing - I'm saying that the story itself is painful. As a wife one of my greatest fears is the death of my husband; this story is all about that fear realized in one of the most horrible ways possible. In that aspect, the book is truly heart-wrenching and sickening. Instead of watching her writing style and structure, I was continually putting myself in her place - which I suppose actually is the mark of a well-written book.
Besides discussing the incident itself, the book is also about how Karen's faith saw her through this difficult time and how she dealt with the tragedy. A network of good friends, supportive family - and deep personal faith - are what kept her going through the darkest times up until now, roughly two years later.
This brings me to a criticism of the book: I feel that this book may have been written a bit soon. Not that she hasn't dealt admirably with the situation - but the tragedy only took place two years ago. Less than that, even. I think this book might have had a more fully fleshed-out feeling if the authoress had waited five, maybe ten years before writing it. A scant year and a half later, this book is more part of the healing process than a objective description of it.
Not to say that she doesn't share some important insights about the nature of grief and how faith has carried her through the situation. However, the book has something of the air of an unfinished story, like an autobiography written by a thirty year-old. Yes, the stated focus of the book - the finding of Kelly, the initial grief and recovery of his family - is told. But this book is predominantly about Karen James's grief and recovery; barely a year and a half later, although her faith has strengthened and the passage of time has somewhat softened her pain, it still has the feeling of an open wound. I would like to know what her perspective on faith and grief are in five years - or ten. I have a feeling it would be totally different. (Not opposite; just different.)
If you were one of the millions who was praying for the Mt. Hood climbers while the tragedy was unfolding, you may want to read this book. If you are looking for books about grief and faith, this would also be another book to examine. And I didn't finish it feeling wretched as I thought I would - I felt somewhat uplifted. However, I would like to recommend that the publisher consider adding an afterword from the authoress five years down the line so that this story will have a fuller sense of completion. And that's all I have to say about that. -- Mrs. Hall
Holding Fast: Grief Conquered by Faith November 19, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In Holding Fast, Karen James takes readers on an intimate and emotional journey of faith and grief. Karen's husband Kelly--an accomplished mountain climber--left for a weekend climb on Mount Hood in Oregon, with two friends in December of 2006. When they failed to meet their ride at the end of the trek, Karen was thrust into a very private nightmare and a very public spotlight.
America watched as she spent eight agonizing days waiting, hoping and praying for Kelly's safe return while the mountain experienced the worst snowstorms in a decade. On December 17th, rescue workers retrieved Kelly's body from a snow cave near the summit. His companions were never found.
Karen's faith in Jesus Christ quickly became her rock, the only solid thing she could cling to that would keep her from succumbing to grief.
"When your world falls out from underneath you and you are on your knees, there is nowhere to look but up. Suddenly everything you have claimed about your God and your faith is put to the test. During such a time, you learn where you stand with your Maker, and the most significant question of your life slaps you right in the face: Do you really believe?"
The answer to this question for Karen James is, "Yes--I really believe."
Holding Fast is the story of a man who lived life to its fullest and loved God wholeheartedly. It is also the story of a woman who learned to live without the love of her life and discovered an even greater love.
Holding Fast November 18, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love a fast paced, edge of seat type of book and that is exactly what I found in 'Holding Fast' by Karen James.
'The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy' provides detailed insight into the week long search and rescue operation when 3 mountain climbers were trapped at the 11,000 foot level after a terrifying accident, fighting injuries and the worst storm conditions imaginable.
Kelly James, Brian Hall and Nikko Cooke were experienced mountain climbers and fully equipped for this 3 day climb and aware of the winter conditions when they began their ascent on December 7 2006. Mother nature threw a curve ball at them, with 130 mile an hour gusts, whiteout conditions and extreme avalanche danger in the worst storm of the century which hindered all rescue efforts.
Karen James recounts much more of the true story than we heard on the news, taking us inside the tragic events which were to devastate her family and an entire nation during the weeks leading up to the Christmas season. Millions were praying for the rescue of these three young American men.
I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read and believe it will touch your heart, while not letting you put the book down!
The story brought me to tears, made my heart pound with anxiety and revealed the beauty of Kelly and Karen's love story.
Most importantly, Karen imparted the importance of talking 'to' God rather than 'about' God which has led her toward peace in life knowing she will eventually be reunited with her soulmate.
 I love disaster stories: this one not so much November 18, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
You can learn a lot from disaster stories. Don't go on a maiden voyage of anything that claims to be the fastest, longest, biggest, or most unsinkable whatever of all time; don't live in California; don't cook over an open campfire in a forest during a historic drought, don't run a marathon in the Sahara; don't go mountain climbing in the winter. In Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Disaster, we learn about what can occur when even experienced climbers attempt a mountain ascent in winter. Ostensibly, the tale is about three climbers who try to summit Mount Hood by scaling its icy north face, with the intent to "down climb" the mountain's other side. The narrative is told by Karen James, widow of Kelly James, one of the doomed climbers.
Good disaster stories have certain conventions that lovers of the genre have come to expect. We hope for a gripping tale, and we've got that here. We know the end of disaster tales (was there anyone in the theater during the film Titanic who didn't know it wasn't just an old-fashioned episode of Love Boat?) and, ironically, that's where the tale derives much of its suspense. How will the protagonists deal with what's facing them? What choices will they make? How do their individual choices weigh against the seemingly random events taking shape? We also have characters who are intrepid risk takers, and we get enough information about Kelly James' early life to know he came from a disadvantaged background, which makes him perfect fodder for an "against-all-odds" story.
In Holding Fast, we're familiar with the tear-jerking media coverage of the search and rescue teams' fruitless efforts. The suspense comes from who did what when, and who knew what when. Karen James frames her tale in day-by-day briefings on the search, complete with details back-filled from messages left on her husband's cell phone as he lay dying in a snow cave. The suspense also comes from following a character who rose from difficult circumstances in his childhood to professional and personal heights, literally, before facing this last challenge. It's exciting, and heart-breaking, and maddening, which is what a fulfilling disaster story is all about.
What doesn't fit the generic mold here is the one-sided view of the disaster. Because it's told by his widow, the story is disturbingly focused on just one climber. We don't even learn what the other climbers did for a living. We know, tangentially, that they have families, because those folks are on the periphery of Ms. James' own vigil for her husband, but we know not much more, other than that they were experienced climbers who were loyal friends to Kelly James (one of the more unsettling moments in the narrative comes just after Karen James hears the news about her husband; although the other families have been sharing the search and vigil with her, "to avoid exposing the James children to the media glare," Karen James immediately returns with them to her hometown of Dallas, without learning the fate of the other climbers).
The other non-generic element is the focus on Karen James' faith. Every chapter is punctuated by references to the James' faith in Christianity, with the climb and its aftermath seeming to be there merely to show readers Karen James' own spiritual struggle. The book ends up being more about this spiritual wrestling (and, perhaps understandably, about creating a lasting memorial to her husband) than it is about a climbing trip gone terribly wrong. We can see why Karen James would use her skills (she co-owns her own PR agency) to shape her husband's image, particularly for his children, and in the face of some criticism of his actions. However, Holding Fast is an oddly context-less account that leaves me wishing the book were more about climbing than about a personal journey. After all, bigger, more important questions for readers loom, and Karen James never addresses them: how should we view those whose personal journeys ultimately imperil others?
Inspiring life, inspiring death...Great glimpse into a remarkable man November 17, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If reading opens new worlds, I stepped into a brand new one this week when I read "Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy" by Karen James. Most of us remember the Mount Hood climbing accident just before Christmas in 2006. Three experienced mountain climbers were lost for over a week before the lifeless body of Kelly James, Karen James' husband, was found in a hand-dug snow cave on the side of the mountain. As a nation, we held our collective breath hoping for a Christmas miracle, a live rescue, or the rescue of Kelly's two missing climbing partners. We did not receive that Christmas miracle.
Karen James decided to write her account of the harrowing days of Kelly's climb, accident and death. In the process she has given us an inspiring glimpse of the faithfulness of God's care even in the darkest night. Each of the three climbers -- Kelly James, Brian Hall and Nikko Cooke -- had a deep personal faith in God, and it shines through each page of their story. Kelly was a man who lived his life in every sense of the word: full of adventure and risk, declaring the Glory of God on the high summits of the world.
The true story of the climbing tragedy was pieced together in the days and months following the tragic events on Mount Hood. Karen and Kelly's four children painstakingly gathered details together to understand how experienced climbers could find themselves injured and in a deathly situation on the side of Mount Hood. While not many of us will ever step foot on a mountain the way Kelly James did, his story is a testimony and a metaphor for conquering the mountains in our life. I was stuck like glue to this book for most of the weekend, and at the end of it I feel like I have lost a friend. But that friend holds the gift of hope in his hands, and holds it out shimmering to anyone who reads this book.
Kelly's faith will inspire others to reconnect with the God who made them. Can there be a higher purpose or a greater reward?
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