Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Amazon Prime includes:
Fast, FREE Delivery is available to Prime members. To join, select "Try Amazon Prime and start saving today with Fast, FREE Delivery" below the Add to Cart button.
Amazon Prime members enjoy:- Cardmembers earn 5% Back at Amazon.com with a Prime Credit Card.
- Unlimited Free Two-Day Delivery
- Streaming of thousands of movies and TV shows with limited ads on Prime Video.
- A Kindle book to borrow for free each month - with no due dates
- Listen to over 2 million songs and hundreds of playlists
- Unlimited photo storage with anywhere access
Important: Your credit card will NOT be charged when you start your free trial or if you cancel during the trial period. If you're happy with Amazon Prime, do nothing. At the end of the free trial, your membership will automatically upgrade to a monthly membership.
Buy new:
$24.75$24.75
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: GREAT FOUNTAIN TRADE LLC
Save with Used - Acceptable
$7.08$7.08
Ships from: Amazon Sold by: -OnTimeBooks-
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
The Mountain Between Us Hardcover – June 1, 2010
Purchase options and add-ons
- Print length336 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherBroadway Books
- Publication dateJune 1, 2010
- Dimensions5.75 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN-100767927001
- ISBN-13978-0767927000
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Frequently bought together

Similar items that may ship from close to you
Get to know this book
What's it about?
Two strangers, a surgeon and a magazine writer, are stranded in Utah's remote wilderness after a blizzard. They rely on each other to survive, sparking an immediate connection that evolves into something more.
Popular highlight
Then someone comes along who mends a tattered edge, or returns a lost piece. The process is tedious, painful, and there are no shortcuts. Anything that promises to be one is not.665 Kindle readers highlighted this
Popular highlight
Forgiveness is a tough thing. Both in the offering…and the accepting.595 Kindle readers highlighted this
Popular highlight
Waiting for somebody does that. It turns minutes to hours, hours to days, and days to several lifetimes.403 Kindle readers highlighted this
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Hey…
I’m not sure what time it is. This thing should record that. I woke a few minutes ago. It’s still dark. I don’t know how long I was out.
The snow is spilling in through the windshield. It’s frozen across my face. Hard to blink. Feels like dried paint on my cheeks. It just doesn’t taste like dried paint.
I’m shivering…and it feels like somebody is sitting on my chest. Can’t catch my breath. Maybe broke two or three ribs. Might have a collapsed lung.
The wind up here is steady, leaning against the tail of the fuselage…or what’s left of it. Something above me, maybe a branch, is slapping the plexi-glass. Sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. And more cold air is coming in behind me. Where the tail used to be.
I can smell gas. I guess both wings were still pretty full of fuel.
I keep feeling like I want to throw up.
A hand is wrapped around mine. The fingers are cold and calloused. There’s a wedding band, worn thin around the edges. That’s Grover.
He was dead before we hit the treetops. I’ll never understand how he landed this thing without killing me, too.
When we took off, the ground temperature was in the single digits. Not sure what it is now. Feels colder. Our elevation should be around eleven-five. Give or take. We couldn’t have fallen more than five hundred feet when Grover dipped the wing. The control panel sits dark, unlit. Dusted in white. Every few minutes the GPS on the dash will flicker, then go black again.
There was a dog here somewhere. All teeth and muscle. Real short hair. About the size of a loaf of bread. Makes snotty, gurgling sounds when he breathes. Looks like he’s jacked up on speed. Wait…
‘Hey, boy…Wait…no. Not there. Okay, lick but don’t jump. What’s your name? You scared? Yeah…me, too.’
I can’t remember his name.
I’m back…was I gone long? There’s a dog here. Buried between my coat and armpit.
Did I already tell you about him? I can’t remember his name.
He’s shivering and the wrinkles around his eyes are quivering. Whenever the wind howls, he jumps up and growls at it.
The memory’s foggy. Grover and I were talking, he was flying, maybe banking right, the dash flashed a buffet of blue and green lights, a carpet of black stretched out below us, not a light bulb for sixty miles in any direction, and…there was a woman. Trying to get home to her fiancé and a rehearsal dinner. I’ll look.
…I found her. Unconscious. Elevated pulse. Eyes are swollen shut. Pupils are dilated. Probably a concussion. Several lacerations across her face. A few will need stitches. Right shoulder is dislocated and left femur is broken. It didn’t break the skin but, her leg is angling out and suit leg is tight. I need to set it…once I catch my breath.
…It’s getting colder. I guess the storm finally caught us. If I don’t get us wrapped in something…we’ll freeze to death before daylight. I’ll have to set that leg in the morning.
Rachel…I don’t know how much time we have, don’t know if we’ll make it out, if…but…I take it all back. I was wrong. I was angry. I never should’ve said it. You were thinking about us. Not you. I can see that now.
You’re right. Right all along. There’s always a chance.
Always.
Product details
- Publisher : Broadway Books; First Edition (June 1, 2010)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 336 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0767927001
- ISBN-13 : 978-0767927000
- Item Weight : 15.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.75 x 1.25 x 8.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #199,382 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,157 in Contemporary Literature & Fiction
- #13,768 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- #15,560 in American Literature (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

CHARLES MARTIN is a New York Times bestselling author of 16 previous novels, including his most recent, 'The Record Keeper.' His work is available in 35+ languages. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his wife and their three sons.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find the characters well-developed, strong, and tear-jerking. They also describe the writing quality as well-written, educational, and thought-provoking. Readers describe the content as fantastic, humble, and heroic. They appreciate the flow, pacing, and emotional tone. They find the story compelling, refreshing, and teaches lessons of faith, love, and hope. Opinions differ on the plot, with some finding it riveting and captivating, while others say it's predictable and not very realistic.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the storyline compelling, believable, and amazing. They also say the ending is satisfying, enjoyable, and refreshing. Readers also mention that the characters are realistic but complex. They say the book teaches lessons of faith, love, and hope.
"...The Mountain Between Us is an incredible story that is superbly written, and worth every minute it takes to read it...." Read more
"...It's a riveting story of survival, stripping away all the facades constructed by two people who come to depend upon each other for their very..." Read more
"...So the story seemed quite credible to me but it is repetitive at places and the flashes of Ben’s personal life seem to fade insignificantly in the..." Read more
"...could've been "Bridge of Madison County, On Ice" takes an interesting and clever turn. One you don't want to miss...." Read more
Customers find the book well-written, magical, and vividly describe conditions. They also say the plot is compelling and harsh, with intelligent and well-drawn characters.
"...The Mountain Between Us is an incredible story that is superbly written, and worth every minute it takes to read it...." Read more
"...The Mountain Between Us" is a captivating story, written with the skill I've come to expect from Charles Martin." Read more
"...The book is well-written and I found the adventure of trying to survive extremely interesting...captivating, really...." Read more
"This book was so well written….the story line amazing…the ending was so incredible…did not see that coming (never saw the movie). Loved it!" Read more
Customers find the characters well developed and insightful. They also say the survival story makes it a page turner.
"...Ben's character is the narrator and his personality is fully developed through the trial and tribulations faced...." Read more
"...The plots are interesting. He develops characters well. There is never anything that would be R rated in a movie...." Read more
"...Each is unique with unique characters. Each has a plot of it's own. And each has an ending that grips you in your heart. Need I say more?..." Read more
"...It truly is an amazing revelation of love and as enjoyable and strong a character, Ashley is, this novel is all Ben- Perfect, “Manly,” Wise Ben...." Read more
Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with real sorrow, and a great story of tragedy and love. They also say it's not a sappy, annoying love story. Readers also mention that the book is both painful and great simultaneously.
"...This was pure Charles Martin. In other words, deep and moving and heart-touching and beautiful." Read more
"...The author is magical. He gets real love, real sorrow, real sacrifice. Would this really be so hard to portray in a movie, apparently so." Read more
"...This was entertaining and emotional and romantic, although it’s by not at all a romance novel...." Read more
"...And the feelings of Ben were worded beautifully...." Read more
Customers find the pacing of the book excellent, moving, intense, and a quick read. They also say it's a beautiful journey with adventure and romance.
"...This was pure Charles Martin. In other words, deep and moving and heart-touching and beautiful." Read more
"...Very intense, very believable very worth the read...." Read more
"...THE MOUNTAIN BETWEEN US I read at a slow, steady pace, yet found it captivating, engaging, moving, and even educational...." Read more
"...Fast paced, knowledgeably plotted and heart rending, this author knows how to take you to the limits. Dixie L. Anderson" Read more
Customers find the characters strong, faithful, and dedicated. They also describe the characters as real, alive, and broken. Readers say the book is tear-jerking and has a great lesson to learn about life.
"...The book is well-written and I found the adventure of trying to survive extremely interesting...captivating, really...." Read more
"...Two very strong people, battling an equally strong situation. I kept wondering over and over "How are they not beat down? How can they survive?"..." Read more
"...inspirational to me in my faith of God and his son, but in giving me hope for my future. I am healing by reading his books...." Read more
"...Charles Martin is amazing & refreshing. Heartwarming , strengthening Great" Read more
Customers find the content thought-provoking, gifted, and purposeful. They also say the book is tactful, smart, and packed with details. Readers say the twist at the end is a surprise. They describe the technique used as clever and powerful.
"...Recommended easy read, any age. No profanity or sex." Read more
"...From the first page to the last it was fantastic but possible. I like all of the people as well as the dog...." Read more
"...I’m so glad I did. This book is focused on thinking positive even when in the direst circumstances, and we all need that lesson every so often...." Read more
"...Ben is a deeply thoughtful and purposeful man, and Ashley's thoughts of him are insightful and leave you pining for men to learn to love as he does...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the plot. Some find it holds their interest from the first paragraph and is impossible to stop reading. They say the book is well written and entertaining with no boring parts to skim over. However, others find the plot predictable, not believable, and hard to watch. They also say the movie is poorly researched, sappy, and unrealistic.
"...It was repetitive in that we seemed to have the same scenes played over and over with small variations...." Read more
"...know much of anything about this book.... and that made it sweet and gripping and engaging from the very first page...." Read more
"...The writing of this book is self-aggrandizing, awkward, boring, predictable, sexist, and a host of other things it should not be...." Read more
"...Mr. Martin is amazing how he grabs the reader and doesn’t let go...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Due to weather in Salt Lake, commercial flights are canceled. Desperate to get home, Dr. Ben Payne hires a charter pilot, Grover, to fly him home to Florida to his wife and kids. On a whim, he asks Ashley, a fellow passenger who is on her way home for her wedding, if she’d like to join so as not to be late for her special day. The three, and Grover’s dog, beat the storm and head toward Denver when Grover’s heart gives out leaving Ben, Ashley, and Napoleon, the name Ben and Ashley give to the dog, to survive the Uintas Wilderness. Without filing a flight plan, and with neither Ben nor Ashley having told anyone of their change from commercial to charter, no one is looking or them. To make matters more dire, upon impact, Ashley’s shoulder dislocates and her femur breaks. Making it out of the vast, rugged, and isolated terrain alive will take more than shear strength.
The Mountain Between Us is an incredible story that is superbly written, and worth every minute it takes to read it. I hear the movie is good as well, but I have no intention of watching it — why ruin a good book by trying to put the words on screen.
I cannot stress enough how The Mountain Between Us will have you looking inward, mulling over your personal relationships, and checking yourself to uncovering your strength. And the ending — a total shocker to me. I LOVE THIS BOOK and wish it just kept going.
Over the Uinta Mountains, the pilot has a heart attack, but manages to crash-land the plane before he dies. When Ben regains consciousness, he knows he has broken ribs. Ashley's leg is broken. The snow has closed in and largely buried them.
Neither Ben nor Ashley told anyone they were taking a charter flight. The pilot didn't tell the tower he had passengers. No one will know to look for them or a plane crash. They are out of cell phone range, and far, far from anything even suggesting human activity. From the crashed plane, Ben fashions a sled to pull Ashley, and they set out into the unknown.
Charles Martin has written a number of remarkable novels that connect place and relationship - novels like "Chasing Fireflies," "The Dead Don't Dance," "Maggie," "Wrapped in Rain," "When Crickets Cry," and "Where the River Ends." Martin is as much a storyteller of landscape as he is of people and brokenness. All of his previous works have been based in the southeastern United States - Georgia, northern Florida and South Carolina, a familiar landscape for Martin. With "The Mountain Between Us" (published in 2010), while part of the story is based in the Jacksonville area, Martin sets most of his story in the Utah wilderness.
It's a riveting story of survival, stripping away all the facades constructed by two people who come to depend upon each other for their very lives.
Ben is married to Rachel, with two children. Ashley is engaged to marry with two days time. They will spend the next four weeks together fighting snow, fending off mountain lions, trying to find food and shelter and somehow find civilization. And tend to their injuries.
Along the way Ashley will learn that Ben is separated from his wife, and Ben will learn that Ashley isn't entirely convinced she should be marrying Vince. Yet each remains faithful, even as they are forced into a personal proximity to each other that most married couples don't have. And Ashley begins to sense that Ben is carrying some deep personal pain that he won't let go of.
Martin's usual attention to detail - a trademark of his writing - is fully employed here, so much so that the reader is walking and crawling with them, hunting rabbits and moose, desperately trying to stay alive. It's an unforgiving landscape, it's winter, and the cold is felt on every page.
"The Mountain Between Us" is a captivating story, written with the skill I've come to expect from Charles Martin.
It is quite hard to focus your story on just two characters and make it readable when you have to face the most challenging situation of an air crash but Martin doesn’t disappoint. I have read an account of a real life airplane crash and the way a lone survivor found her way out of a jungle. So the story seemed quite credible to me but it is repetitive at places and the flashes of Ben’s personal life seem to fade insignificantly in the wake of life threatening situations.
I am glad I pulled through this book as half way through it I changed my opinion, which rarely happens. There came a stage when I couldn’t put it down! I finished 25% of this book in one sitting, eager to know the outcome! It is not just a survival story, not just a romantic novel but much more than that, subtly hinting at the finer nuances of life, which seem less important when we have all the blessings on a platter but don't acknowledge them.










