Promotional Information

Set in the world of extreme sports, a brilliant new novel from Tim Parks that will widen his readership.

About the Author

Tim Parks studied at Cambridge and Harvard. He lives near Verona with his wife and three children. His novel Europa was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and Judge Savage was longlisted in 2003.

Reviews

"It s a tenacious addition to the mini-genre of white-water thrill rides, joining the likes of Deliverance and Lisa Michael s chronicle of 1920s canyon rafting Grand Ambition." Christian House, Independent

On the surface, this latest novel from Parks (Destiny) tells the story of a group of kayaking enthusiasts learning how to hold their own in the white water of the Italian Alps. In fact, this novel is about the inner struggles of three of these characters: Clive, the rugged instructor who yearns to change the world; Michela, his loyal girlfriend, whose deepest wish is to leave Italy; and Vince, a high-powered British banker who is literally and figuratively drowning in the aftermath of his wife's death. On a more philosophical level, Parks also examines the nature of extreme sports and those who participate in them. Parks's writing style perfectly matches his subject matter. It ebbs and flows like a river, twisting and turning like the rapids. Eschewing quotation marks, his dialog flows into the narrative as seamlessly as a creek meeting a river. While some readers may become alienated by the incessant jargon, kayakers and canoeists will love this book precisely because of Parks's intimate knowledge of the sport. Recommended for large fiction collections.-Karen Walton Morse, Univ. at Buffalo Lib., NY Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.