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TLC YA Nonfiction Review: Beyond Possible by Nimsdai Purja


Title: Beyond Possible: One Man, 14 Peaks, and the Mountaineering Achievement of a Lifetime
Author: Nimsdai Purja
Year published: 2022
Category: YA nonfiction (memoir, sports)
Pages: 168 pages
Rating: 4 out of 5

Location: (my 2022 Google Reading map)Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, China

SummaryIn this action-packed memoir, young readers will not only learn how Purja physically accomplished this incredible feat, but also how his attitude, leadership skills, and willingness to learn from mistakes took him to the top. From his childhood growing up in Nepal, to a career as an elite soldier in the British army, Purja shows how his early life shaped him and enabled him to go beyond what people though was possible.




Purchase Links: Young Readers' Edition: IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Author Links: Instagram

Review: I really like a good extreme sport/survival story and when TLC Tours asked if I was interested in the young reader's edition of this one I jumped at the chance. Coincidentally, a friend mentioned that I should watch the documentary "14 Peaks" because it's so good. And, they are about the same man/project. It was meant to be. I haven't watched the documentary yet, but plan to.

Nims is confident. In fact, it can come off as arrogant, but he is entitled since he has accomplished so much. He is straightforward in telling his story, which can come off as arrogant as well, but I got used to that style as his story progressed. He really did amazing things. As someone who came to mountain climbing later in life (around age 30), he discovered he has an amazing lung capacity and could naturally climb more quickly and easily than others. This allowed him to climb multiple major mountains in a very short time.

Reading about someone mountain climbing can get to be a bit much, with all the details bogging down the story, but Purja is a good story teller, weaving in mountain details, the stress of climbing and rescuing climbers, and his interactions with other climbers. I found this last bit particularly interesting as he was often disappointed in the wider climbing community when they wouldn't rush to help those in distress as he felt they should.

I think students would really find this book fascinating and inspirational. Purja also talks about his mother and how she inspired him to do the things he has done in his life.

Challenges for which this counts:  
  • Alphabet Soup (Author)--P
  • Alphabet Soup (Title)--B
  • Literary Escapes--Nepal, Pakistan, Tibet, China
  • Nonfiction--Geography
  • Pop Sugar--2022 publication




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