A Change in Altitude.

'A Change in Altitude 'by Anita Shreve.

A novel set in Kenya. Margaret, a journalist and he doctor husband Patrick have moved to Kenya from the United States, purely for Patrick's work. He practises equatorial medicine . Their new home offers a diverse way of life which neither seemed prepared.
The heat , the poverty , the crime and the sheer extent of the vastness of the squalid shanty towns all wear them down . Consequently when an offer comes for some excitement in the way of climbing to the summit of Mount Kenya they are very enthusiastic. They will climb in a group which includes their best friends, who are also ex-pats. However not all their plans are fulfilled and as a terrible accident occurs Margaret is struck by persistant feelings of guilt which torment both their lives well after the climb is completed.

Reading this book, although I have never been to Africa, I felt it ran true to such an extent I was there -- the scenery and the culture were all described in a vivid way. Unfortunately I found the storyline lacking in substance, as I turned each page I waited for the climax , the punchline but non came. Consequently it was a disappointing read.