Mountains Beyond Case

Alex Glinski

Mr. Duffus

English 101

Overcoming Adversity

Tracy Kidder's novel, Mountains Beyond Mountains, is considered a New York Times Bestseller. The author is the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, which is awarded to those who have achieved greatly in journalism and literature. This information alone already places the novel as a great selection for a first year summer reading. Besides the awards given to the author and the novel, the content within the book is what urges universities to select this particular story. This literature is a great selection for a first year reading because it motivates the audience by showing that even through rough adversity anything is possible, and that the world is one family that should care for one another.

The story focuses on a renowned Doctor and Harvard professor, Paul Farmer. He was raised on a bus and a boat for the majority of his life. Farmer realized his life's calling to serve others and strived through contest to achieve his success. It wasn't enough for him though. He wanted to be able to help and serve more. I liked this about him because it showed that he didn't choose this profession for the fame or money, but to serve others around him. This aspect is great for first year students in showing us that a career shouldn't be about income, but what we feel that we are called to do in life. This motivation helps the audience realize to not only reach your goal, but also surpass it and spread your talents to help others around you. Paul Farmer did so by leaving his comfort zone and traveling the world to help rid of disease. His work took him all over the world to places like Haiti and Russia. His passion for others motivates the audience, but there is something more to the story that makes this novel such a great choice