Shook: An Earthquake, a Legendary Mountain Guide, and Everest's Deadliest Day

Dave Hahn, a local of Taos, New Mexico, is a legendary figure in mountaineering. Elite members of the climbing community have likened him to the Michael Jordan, Cal Ripken, or Michael Phelps of the climbing world. The 2015 expedition he would lead came just one short year after the notorious Khumbu Icefall avalanche claimed the lives of sixteen Sherpas. Dave and his team—Sherpa sirdar Chhering Dorjee, assistant guide JJ Justman, base-camp manager Mark Tucker, and the eight clients who had trained for the privilege to attempt to summit with Dave Hahn spent weeks honing the techniques that would help keep them alive through the Icefall and the Death Zone. None of this could have prepared them for the earthquake that shook Everest and all of their lives on the morning of April 25, 2015. Shook tells their story of resilience, nerve, and survival on the deadliest day on Everest.

About the Author :
Jennifer Hull is a New Mexico-based writer, a former middle school teacher, and a former adjunct professor at UNM-Taos.

Review :
Hull's portrait of Hahn is most compelling--there is a quiet humility about this steadfast guide through the extremes of human endurance.--Taos News As is true of the best narrative nonfiction, Shook refuses to simply recount the facts (compelling as they are) and instead makes us think about our own humanity--even if we never plan to strap a crampon to our boots. It is Hull's capable hands as a writer, specifically her ability to weave research--site visits, archival work, interviews--into the story of that fateful trip in the spring of 2015, that pushes Shook past the bounds of fact and into the realm of art.--Jennifer Sinor, Colorado Review As is true of the best narrative nonfiction, Shook refuses to simply recount the facts (compelling as they are) and instead makes us think about our own humanity--even if we never plan to strap a crampon to our boots. It is Hull's capable hands as a writer, specifically her ability to weave research--site visits, archival work, interviews--into the story of that fateful trip in the spring of 2015, that pushes Shook past the bounds of fact and into the realm of art.--Jennifer Sinor, Colorado Review Shook is a fascinating true adventure story coupled with an account of Mount Everest's allure and danger.--Jeff Fleischer, Foreword Reviews Carefully researched and sensitively written, Shook is a vivid reminder that those infamous conga lines of Everest climbers are made up of individual people, each with their own dreams and goals. Hull's work showcases the care and pride that great mountain guides--Sherpa and otherwise--have for their profession, and it offers a window into a community that outsiders can be quick to judge.--Eva Holland, Outside Hull deftly connects previous ascents and deadly moments to the day when the storied mountain quaked with a full contingency of climbers clinging to its perilous facade.--James McGrath Morris, author of The Ambulance Drivers: Hemingway, Dos Passos, and a Friendship Made and Lost in War Meticulously researched and written in vigorous, fast-paced prose, Shook is a real-life adventure that is engrossing, informative, and rattling.--David Wright, coauthor of Fire on the Beach: Recovering the Lost Story of Richard Etheridge and the Pea Island Lifesavers An eloquent, humane, and gripping narrative of the tragedy, well-researched and beautifully written.--Douglas Preston, best-selling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story This is a book that reveals details even the most ardent Everest follower will find new and interesting. Highly recommended.--Alan Arnette