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...)

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)

Customer Reviews

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.

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.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book!, October 30, 2008

By	Husband "Hero" (Dallas) - See all my reviews

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...