Holding Fast, The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy by Karen James, Wife of Mountain Climber Kelly James; 2008; 225 pages; 978-1-5955-5175-7;

7/26/09-7/27/09

When I first put this book on hold I thought it was an examination of the Oregon Episcopal School tragedy on Mt. Hood in May of 1986, but upon receiving it realized it was much more recent.  In December of 2006 Kelly James, Brian Hall and Nikko Cooke attempted to climb Mt.  Hood.  They got caught in bad weather and one of the climbers was hurt.  This is Karen James recollection of what she and her family went through during the rescue and recovery operation, combined with a short history of the family prior to the tragedy and also what she was able to piece together about her husbands’ final hours.  Kellys’ body was recovered from a snow cave, neither Brian Hall or Nikko Cookes’ body have ever been recovered.

When I realized that a Christian publisher had published this I was worried that this was going to be a don’t worry be happy, God knows what he is doing and I won’t question it book.  Karen and Kellys’ faith is an important of their life and their story, but Karen is very honest in that she questioned God even screaming and asking him why.  We may never know why God does thing, but we realize that God is good.  This is a well written, thoughtful presentation of the many different and often conflicting emotions that many people go through in a time of tragedy.  As Christians we should understand that our lives will be filled with peaks and valleys, God does not promise an easy journey, but promises that he will be with us.  RRR