Product Description

In Lisa Michaels's enthralling debut novel, she weaves the tale of two young newlyweds, Glen and Bessie Hyde, who set out in 1928 to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon. The pair hoped to set a record: Bessie would be the first woman to negotiate that treacherous stretch of the Colorado River. When they failed to appear at their destination on time, Glen's father mounted a desperate search to find them. Based on the few known facts of a true story, Grand Ambition contemplates our need for risk and danger, and treats with great complexity the power of youthful passion. Reading Group Guide included.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #626459 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

From Publishers Weekly
A perilous 1928 expedition provides the historical inspiration for this solid, low-key novel by Michaels, a poet and memoirist. More than 70 years ago, spurred on by Lindbergh's flight across the Atlantic, newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde went rafting down the Colorado River. If they made it, Bessie would be the first woman to run the dangerous rapids, but the expedition ended in disaster: the Hydes disappeared before they reached Needles, Calif., the endpoint of their journey. Michaels divides the story between an account of the young couple's tragic adventure and the tale of Glen's father, Reith, who mounted an unsuccessful search party to find them. Glen Hyde is an uncommon man thoroughly open-minded, but also ignorant of normal fears and sometimes maddeningly literal. Bessie Hyde, n‚e Haley, has had a more varied experience than her husband, and her history is revealed in flashbacks. Married before, she fled her first husband to go to art school in San Francisco. When she meets Glen, she is impressed by his "most unusual composure." Rafting through spectacularly dangerous rapids, she begins to feel that Glen's composure might well be simple recklessness, but she is seized by a need to keep up with the husband she loves. The sepia-toned tale runs straight and true along the course of the Colorado, Michaels's well-integrated research and descriptions of the rushing water and rocky cliffs giving it a simple, convincing period tone. Though the rapids may come to seem monotonous, the love story at the heart of this honest historical adventure tale rings true. (June)Forecast: The only connection between this book and Michaels's well-received memoir, Split, about growing up a child of the counterculture, is the author's clean, well-crafted prose. Fans of the latter may be puzzled, and chances are this quiet first novel won't attract the attention of the earlier memoir.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Had newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde run the length of the Colorado River in 1928, they would have been only the tenth party to do so, and Bessie would have been the first woman to brave the tract's treacherous rapids. Like their hero, Charles Lindbergh, the Hydes hoped to break records and become famous. But six weeks into their journey, they disappeared. In this first novel, Michaels deftly fleshes out the few facts of the Hydes' trip and weaves their story with that of Glen's father, who desperately searches for the lost couple. Part tender romance, part compelling mystery, Grand Ambition is a riveting account of the strength, love, ambition, and fear of two people as they test their own limits and attempt to make a lasting mark on the world. Michaels, an award-wining poet and author of the memoir Split: A Counterculture Childhood, convincingly evokes both the terrifying geography of the Colorado River and the complicated terrain of the human heart. Highly recommended. Karen Anderson, Quarles & Brady/Streich Lang, Phoenix, AZ
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From The New Yorker
This début novel takes inspiration from a historical footnote: in 1928, the newlyweds Glen and Bessie Hyde attempted to run the most treacherous rapids of the Colorado River; although their boat was recovered intact, their bodies were never found. This material might have produced a story of psychological disintegration and betrayal in the wilderness, but Michaels has a more delicate subject in mind: the emotional distances in even the best marriages. Bessie feels "awe and bitterness" toward her confident, single-minded husband, and the combination of his hubris and her fear carries them to a surprisingly tender end.
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Good coverage of the unknown parts
The chief strength of this book is that it fictionally recreates the "missing" scenes from the fateful Colorado Rivery journey of Glenn and Bessie Hyde. However, Michaels apparently wrote her book before "Sunk Without a Sound" was published. If she had been able to read it first, numerous mistakes concerning known facts would have not been made.

Thoroughly Captivating!
Grand Ambition is a story of fact and fiction woven together masterfully into a beautiful, honest portrayal of love and adventure. Lisa Michael's captures the awesome majesty of the Grand Canyon so completely I felt that I was with Bessie and Glen Hyde as they navigated their way down the Colorado. Despite knowing that they never achieve their "Grand Ambition," I was completely engrossed in seeing the newlyweds safely through each new hurdle. I loved this book so much I bought several more copies to give as presents and have told many others about it.

Wow!
One of the best books I have read in the last few years!

I have never taken time to write a review before but feel compelled to spread the good word in this instance. A rare poetic adventure novel. This is a tremendous book, the story is captivating and the writing is lean and beautiful. I go out of my to recommend this novel to friends, family and passing acquaintances. As a previous boater on the Grand Canyon I was amazed by how true this felt; it is as good and evocative a description of the rapids and the canyon as I've ever read. This is a gem.