Joan's picks: Knife River and Into Thin Air

The Sunday Session with Francesca Rudkin

Knife River by Justine Champine: When Jess was 13 years old her mother disappeared, which is something she and her sister Liz struggled with for years. Now living in NYC, Jess receives a phone call one day to say that her mother’s remains have been found, which takes her back to the small town of Knife River where she grew up. She moves back into her childhood home where her sister has been living as if frozen in time, and now the two of them wait for the authorities to determine what happened, but the discovery of the remains raises more questions than answers. This is a book with real emotional depth – two very different siblings suddenly under one roof together again, each inhabiting very different worlds but both staring down the same mystery.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer: This was originally published 27 years ago, but remains one of the most gripping narrative nonfiction books ever written and it’s now been reissued. The author was on assignment for Outdoor magazine in 1996 and sent to Everest to write about the growing commercialisation of the mountain. He was an accomplished climber and joined Kiwi Rob Hall’s expedition to the summit which turned into a terrible tragedy when Krakauer himself collapsed and then five other climbers died, and a 6th lost his hand through frostbite – it was the worst season in the history of Mt Everest. In this book he tells the story about what happened but also ponders on what it is that drives so many people to attempt the climb. It’s a terrific read.

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