The Mountain Can Wait

By: Sarah Leipciger

Narrated by: Robert Petkoff

Tragedy erupts in an instant. Lives are shattered irrevocably. A young man drives off into the night, leaving a girl injured, perhaps fatally so. From that cliffhanger opening, Leipciger takes readers back and forward in time to tell the haunting story of one family's unraveling in rural logging country where the land is still the economic backbone.

Like the novels of Annie Proulx, this debut is rooted in richly detailed nature writing and sharply focused on small town mores and regional culture. Marrying the propulsive story of a father and son who, in the wake of catastrophe, must confront their private demons to reach for redemption with an evocative meditation on our environmental legacy, The Mountain Can Wait introduces Leipciger as an exciting talent.

Critic reviews

"THE MOUNTAIN CAN WAIT is a taut, psychologically gripping novel populated by original characters constantly at battle with nature, family, society, and themselves. This is a book that kept me up at night. Leipciger has Margaret Atwood's rare flair for crafting an intelligent and suspenseful novel."—- Nickolas Butler, bestselling author of Shotgun Lovesongs

"It's clear and beautiful, like swimming in a mountain lake."—Mark Haddon, author of New York Times bestseller The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

"In this assured debut novel Leipciger beautifully captures the tender and mercurial relationship between father and son, Tom and Curtis Berry. These are characters you care about, flawed and haunted by regret, existing in the harsh yet undeniably radiant world of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Leipciger writes with great compassion and precision, her language is an exquisite mix of muscle and grace. The Mountain Can Wait resonated with wonderful imagery which will stay with me for a very long time."—Michele Forbes, author of Ghost Moth

"The Mountain Can Wait is as haunting, wild and compelling as the landscape it describes."
—Claire Cameron, author of The Bear

Returning this book

What would have made The Mountain Can Wait better?

Do not bother with this book. It is boring and really doesn't focus on what the summary says it does.

What was most disappointing about Sarah Leipciger’s story?

BORING

What didn’t you like about Robert Petkoff’s performance?

His performance was find, but the book was so boring that he couldn't have made it into a good performance.