or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
More Buying Choices
95 used & new from $0.55

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy
 
 

Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: rescue squadron, snow platform, snow cave, Holding Fast, Mount Hood, Lou Ann (more...)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)

List Price: $24.99
Price: $18.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
You Save: $6.00 (24%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 3 left in stock--order soon (more on the way).

Want it delivered Tuesday, November 17? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
55 new from $0.55 40 used from $0.56

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, November 11, 2008 $9.99 -- --
  Hardcover, November 10, 2008 $18.99 $0.55 $0.56

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy + Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
  • This item: Holding Fast: The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy by Karen James

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

  • Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits

Die Trying: One Man's Quest to Conquer the Seven Summits

by Bo Parfet
4.5 out of 5 stars (16)  $15.64
Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters

Forever on the Mountain: The Truth Behind One of Mountaineering's Most Controversial and Mysterious Disasters

by James M. Tabor
4.0 out of 5 stars (33)  $10.65
Forget Me Not: A Memoir

Forget Me Not: A Memoir

by Jennifer Lowe-Anker
4.8 out of 5 stars (32)  $11.53
No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

by Ed Viesturs
4.2 out of 5 stars (61)  $10.17
K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain

K2: Life and Death on the World's Most Dangerous Mountain

by Ed Viesturs
4.3 out of 5 stars (37)  $15.21
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

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.


Product Details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Thomas Nelson; First Edition edition (November 11, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1595551751
  • ISBN-13: 978-1595551757
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #316,284 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Karen James
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Visit Amazon's Karen James Page

Inside This Book (learn more)

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 
(19)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

46 Reviews
5 star:
 (21)
4 star:
 (13)
3 star:
 (6)
2 star:
 (5)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A great adventure book, November 12, 2008
By Joan N. "bookwomanJoan" (Whidbey Island, WA USA) - See all my reviews
Living on an island in Puget Sound, I am surrounded by mountains. I remember listening to the daily reports, not quite two years ago, of the rescue efforts to find three men on Mount Hood. I though at the time, "What would make one want to climb a mountain in the midst of winter?"
Karen James answered that question in Holding Fast, the story of her husband Kelly - one of those three stranded on Mount Hood. Through pictures recovered from her husband's camera, Karen was able to reconstruct what happened on that fatal climb. The men were avid ice climbers and had planned the climb for some time. After they began their ascent, they were aware of the impending bad weather and changed their plans to shorten their time on the mountain. It seems Kelly must have fallen and was injured. An ice cave was dug out for him while the others tried to go for help. As the storm of the decade settled in, with hurricane force winds near the peak, rescue attempts were thwarted. Only Kelly's body was eventually found. It is thought the others were swept off the mountain.
Kelly's death was a very public event and Karen shares the struggles she had. Yet her faith in God was sure as was the help and support of her friends.
For Kelly, climbing was like breathing - he had to do it. Karen surmises that all of this happened to show that Christianity is for adventurous and daring men. When people ask her, "Where was God?" she answers, "In the ice cave with Kelly, holding him."
Holding Fast is a refreshingly honest look at how Christians deal with tragedy. It is an amazing story of God's comfort and support in a time of great distress.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Holding Fast, A Story of Faith, November 16, 2008
By J. Bussell (Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is an amazing story of faith. Karen James, wife of Kelly James, takes you inside eight long days as many people attempt to rescue her husband and two other men off of the top of Mt. Hood. Karen provides detail into her ordeal, focusing on how she relied on God through it all.

The first half of the book details the account as many rescue workers worked day after day in the worst storm on Mt. Hood in a decade. When I first started the book, I had some recollection of what happened in 2006 as the entire country watched the events unfold. As I read further through the pages, many more of my memories of the story surfaced. Ms. James does a great job of detailing her feelings as well as what was happening day in and day out.

In the second half of the book, she provides detail of how she copes daily without the love of her life and how her faith in God has been strengthened through the entire process. Ms. James did a great job of making me feel like I was in the story. The way she discusses the details and her feelings is truly remarkable. This book is a must-read for anyone, especially those going through the loss of a loved one.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, October 30, 2008
I too needed some closure. I didn't realize how this very public tragedy had lingered in my life.

During the event I was watching the news everyday and scouring the web for updates, or any hopeful information. It was difficult, and I think for most of us observers, painful. I think we all wanted to see the victorious return to their loved ones. For them to have beaten the odds, survived the unsurvivable.

I know I measured myself everyday too...could I hold up? Could I stand in front of cameras and give interviews with such grace amid such pain. What do I have to hold onto if I was so challenged?

This book helped me understand the depths of their pain and how they coped. It also provides hope in that we humans, with love and faith can survive almost anything. Through this book, I am secure in knowing there is a way for us survive the unthinkable, to hold fast to our anchors in life.

Its all the details, and then some...
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars HOLDING FAST
I WAS DEEPLY MOVED BY THE LOVE STORY,THE COURAGE OF BOTH KAREN& JAMES. HE WAD FULL OF LIFE,A GREAT SPIRIT,A WONDERFUL MAN.
Published 1 month ago by cornwell"green sleeves"

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiring and wonderful
The book is attractive to me for two reasons. One, I come from a mountain climbing family, and I lost my husband due to a drunk drivers actions. Read more
Published 4 months ago by MotherLodeBeth

4.0 out of 5 stars recommend for anyone
This is a review for Book Review Bloggers, [...]
Holding Fast is the story of the three mountain climbers trapped on Mount Hood in December 2006 and those they left behind... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Travis W. Christian

1.0 out of 5 stars Hold Off on "Holding Fast"
Recently my local bookstore teased me with some new adventure novels coming out. I've loved adventure stories ever since "Into thin Air" by Jon Krakauer so I jumped on Amazon and... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Jenifer Reinhardt

2.0 out of 5 stars A Cautionary Tale
I live in the Mount Hood area, and climbed it extensively in my younger days.

I feel deep respect for the climbers and families and their unfortunate ordeal... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Ken Thompson

5.0 out of 5 stars Hold Fast...to God...In Times of Tragedy!
The Untold Story of the Mount Hood Tragedy, Holding Fast, encompasses many issues beyond sharing the background and events surrounding the loss of three mountain climbers during a... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Glenda A Bixler

5.0 out of 5 stars Holding Fast What a read
This is a GREAT book. I don't remember hearing about the Mount Hood Tragedy. And to tell the truth I was skeptical if I would even like reading this book. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Michael Brown

3.0 out of 5 stars Worthwhile Read
I must admit I began reading this book with low expectations. I am not a mountaineer and I have no interest in the subject of mountaineering. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. Ian Hall

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Informative
This is not a well-written or informative book. The author continually refers to the climbers as "the guys. Read more
Published 8 months ago by The Old Climber

5.0 out of 5 stars Aftertaste of Hope
This true story by Karen James is a harrowing tale, all the more so because we know how it will end. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Violet E. Nesdoly

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   




Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject

 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.