Dixon, Descending

September 1, 2023

An Olympic-level runner who missed getting on the team by two-tenths of a second, Dixon has since been careful not to become too obsessed with any project. Then his brother suggests that they seek to become the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest, and Dixon leaves behind family, friends, and his school psychologist job to face a tragedy on the mountain that will reshape his life. From Rona Jaffe recipient Outen. Prepub Alert.

Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Copyright 2023 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 11, 2023
Outen shines in her debut about two brothers and their consequential climb on Mount Everest. Charter school psychologist Dixon Bryant sets a goal with his older brother, Nate: to be the first Black American men to summit the mountain. It sounds like a grand adventure, but during their April 2011 stay at base camp, where they wait for clear weather, they both wonder if they’ve underestimated the danger. After a foreboding scene involving an avalanche, Outen skips ahead to the fall of that year, with Dixon back at work. His colleagues’ subdued fanfare about his achievement implies that all did not go well on the mountain. Dixon’s return to the school proves short-lived, and as he retreats into isolation, Outen metes out the story of his and Nate’s ill-fated climb. Dixon has lost all but two of his toes, and he wears a prosthesis molded in “white man’s nude,” prompting him to wryly wonder if Black men aren’t “expected to lose toes... or just not to replace them.” As the reader gets oriented as to what happened to Nate, Outen credibly portrays the uncanny sensations of Dixon’s emotional and physical recovery (“He found himself in an afterlife he could not quite make out”). This one hits hard. Agent: Alexa Stark, Writers House.

January 1, 2024
Two Black American brothers push themselves to the top of the world. This debut novel tells the story of Dixon Bryant, a middle-class and rather ordinary man who embarks on a quest to climb Mt. Everest with his charismatic brother, Nate. A complex history of sibling rivalry pushes the two into perilous risk-taking, ultimately leading to tragedy. The narrative alternates between the brothers' time on the mountain and Dixon's life before and after his Himalayan adventure. A subtle portrait emerges of a man whose career as a middle school psychologist in suburban Maryland is rewarding but can't quell deep-seated feelings of inadequacy. Having missed athletic glory by the tiniest of margins in his youth, Dixon seeks confirmation of his distinctiveness in becoming one of the first African American men to summit Everest. Dixon's feelings about the potential achievement are deeply personal while also linked to broader thoughts about American racism and the nation's exclusionary promises of freedom: "Black men on Everest, which was to say freed men. Because their burdens here were of their own making." Returning home after his ascent, Dixon begins the difficult process of managing the trauma he experienced on the mountain, and he commits himself to helping his students however he can. The author's handling of the novel's themes of simmering resentment, crushing failure, and precarious redemption is skillful and absorbing, and she generates real suspense in the unfolding of the book's mysteries. Particularly striking are Dixon's well-intentioned but bumbling interactions with two of his students, neither of whom has he managed to mentor successfully. Memorable, too, are Outen's descriptions of the mountain environment--brought to life through copious detail--and the culture of extreme adventurism, with its dangerous mix of competitive recklessness and commercial exploitation. A haunting story of ambition, guilt, and personal salvation.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024

DEBUT Outen's first novel presents a solid story of how family dynamics impact an individual life. Free-flying older brother Nate keeps pushing his younger brother Dixon to join him in his quest to be the first Black American to reach the summit of Mount Everest. An almost-Olympian, Dixon is now a middle school psychologist with a daughter in college. The athlete's passion in Dixon wars with his responsibilities to his students and family. He does get swept up in Nate's enthusiasm, though, and agrees to accompany him on his Everest expedition. The brothers find themselves at the foot of the mountain, then making the agonizing climb and a disastrous decision to push on to the summit. Returning home with a broken body and spirit, Dixon struggles to adapt to his physical challenges while he searches for purpose in his new reality. The narrative alternates between past and present; the vivid imagery of Nepal, the harrowing circumstances, and the stunning landscapes provide a counterpoint to the characters' lives back home. VERDICT For fans of novels about climbing expeditions, such as Tanis Rideout's Above All Things, or the popular nonfiction account Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer.--Joy Gunn

Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2024
Outen's debut is a story of two brothers and Mt. Everest. School counselor Dixon is the conscientious one, the moral barometer, while Nate is a dreamer who skates by on looks and charm. Having separately claimed Kilimanjaro and Rainier, the brothers agree that it's time to climb Everest. They plan, buy gear, and put off telling friends and family. When they finally do, their longtime friend Skeet responds with, "But what Black man wants to climb a cold-ass mountain?" He advises climbing the corporate mountain instead, "It's nice and white at the top, too." Book sections flip from Dixon's life and work with a troubled student to Katmandu and the climb to notices on Everest's dire climbing risks. Outen's descriptions of mountaineering are rich and real, and Dixon and Nate are paired with sherpa brothers. The harrowing suspense of their climb and descent is intense and gripping. Life after Everest presents new revelations, struggles, and moments that take one's breath away. Strong characters and engaging pacing propel Dixon's story--one that takes him a year to tell.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.