Mountains Beyond Mountains

Reyna Grandes’s Across a Hundred Mountains was written in 2006, it is a stunning and heartfelt novel about migration, loss and discovery. It was published by Washington Square Press and its two hundred and sixty-six pages will captivate the reader from the beginning. The novel depicts the desperation of undocumented immigrants who make the dangerous journey across unfamiliar land to reach the border for “El Otro Lado” (the United States). The author, Reyna Grande gives the reader a glimpse of the everyday struggles these families are faced with and the heart-wrenching decisions made in the pursuit for a better life. There are different themes in this novel, they range from fractured family ties to heartbreaking poverty affecting the family and how religion is used to seek relief from these events. Therefore, an evaluation of the novel will be made on the social issues affecting these individuals, the challenges they face, and apply the ecological perspective along with its strengths. Lastly, an explanation will be given in which a social worker can help to address the issues that affect these individuals.

For my summer reading, I chose to read Mountains Beyond Mountains: the Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World. I chose this book without reading the description and mainly based my selection on the great reviews for this book online as well as the fact that the author, Tracy Kidder, had won a Pulitzer Prize in the past. Ultimately, this book turned out to be as remarkable as the reviews stated it was.

The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, extends for some 3,000 miles (4,800 km), that covers land in two North American countries! With a distance of 3,000 miles, the Rockies must have a variety of physical features and landscapes that makes it an attractive area to tour and explore. However, all of the human interest in this mountain range could come at a devastating cost. Disturbances such as resource extraction, tourism/settlement, and farming in the Rocky Mountain region must cease because they are causing major, irreversible environmental degradation.

Dr. Paul Farmer in Mountains Beyond Mountains is a clear example of a selfless man. Dr. Paul Farmer has made it his mission to dedicate his life to helping the poor and desolate. His morals are sound in that he does not view sick people as objects or untouchables, but as humans deserving of care, compassion and fair and proper treatment, no matter their ability to pay. Dr. Farmer makes sacrifices and advocates for the poor throughout his journey, showing the rest of the world how one man can make a difference.

The mountains are a beautiful adventure. As you walk up the incline, trees overhang, animals run wild, and rivers roar. All of these are things that keep me coming back to hike. On my most recent hike, while it may have been 100 degrees back home, where I was it was a chilling 40 degrees. As we walked around ten miles up and over the mountain, I took many breaks to catch my breath and take in the majestic scenery. There are also the snow skiing vacations. While you can’t see anything besides snow and trees, the adventure of cruising down the slopes is full of adrenalin. The mountains have always signified an adventure for me. Just like the mountains, life is a beautiful adventure. I do not know yet what adventures are in store for my life, but I look forward to them. I strive to see the beauty in everything.

The phrase "all suffering isn't equal" can be understood in a myriad of ways. The idea of suffering can be different depending on a person's mentality or even the conditions they live in. An example would be that a person with an adequate living environment can complain about eating the same type of meal for a whole week, while for an another person who doesn't not have that luxury, may be suffering from having no food at all. While everyone suffers, it is how they are suffering that divides our true understanding of it. Connecting to the book, this phrase relates to the differences on how both the rich and poor can suffer. In Mountains Beyond Mountains Paul Farmer believed that poor undeveloped countries didn't receive the best medical care

From information gathered, my opinion is that this book had emotional effect on most people. It was tragic and sad and also a profound impact on readers when it was first published. It talked about the history of the white settlement of the American west which was told by the people who were there both white and indian which was not learned in school. It is a great book which present a people who loved the earth and respected human life. It also talked about the loss of a beautiful land and the demise of a conscientious and spiritual way of life and finally the extirpation of a nation of people. The interest in environmental issues was growing and the accounts of the destruction by the settlers of the Eastern forest, the soiling of the rivers

But I came to appreciate that mountains make poor receptacles for dreams. And I lived to tell my tale.” (Krakauer, page 155) This passage is illustrative of Krakauer’s feelings about McCandless. He does not think McCandless is so naïve or arrogant as many, especially in Alaska, do, but he does see that he was young, and had many of the common misperceptions, and claims that that was really his main flaw.

The novel Across a Hundred Mountains by Reyna Grande is a story about two young girls and their struggling journey to find happiness between two conflicting and distinct worlds: the United States and Mexico. Juana on one side wants to get to the United States, or “el otro lado” as mentioned in the novel, to find her father who abandoned her and her mother after leaving to find work in the US. On the other hand Adelina escapes from her house in California to follow her lover to Mexico. The girls form a bond in the most unexpected of places, a Tijuana jail, and quickly form a friendship that will connect them for the rest of their lives.

“The only real nation is humanity” (Farmer 123). This quote represents a huge message that is received in, Tracy Kidder’s, Mountains Beyond Mountains. This book argues that universal healthcare is a right and not a privilege. Kidder’s book also shows the audience that every individual, no matter what the circumstances, is entitled to receive quality health care. In the book Kidder represents, Paul Farmer, a man who spends his entire life determined to improve the health care of impoverished areas around the world, namely Haiti, one of the poorest nations in the world. By doing this the audience learns of the horrible circumstances, and the lack of quality health care that nations like Haiti

8. Do you have sympathy or empathy for the wife of Don Elias, Dona Matilde?

Early on in Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air, nature's relationship with humans is established as a fatal attraction, and this relationship is explored throughout the story. Near the end of his narrative though, Krakauer exposes the blunt, brutal consequences of his risky expedition, and how his and his cohorts' ignorance the infamous mountain's ability to fight back ultimately lead to such devastation. With the use of devices such as personification, parallel syntax and, Krakauer shows the consequences for when man and nature's relationship is overlooked. As Krakauer recollects the carnage that occurred amongst the group of people he traveled with, he states that "Everest killed twelve men and women in the spring of 1996" (283).

Paul Farmer came from a family who had little to offer him beside their outpouring love and sense of adventure. He had many places to call home, and would never really get comfortable in one spot because often his family would pick up and move. Farmer was inspired by great leadership, his father, growing up and would in turn become a great leader on his quest to rid the world of poverty and illness. Mountains Beyond Mountains written by Tracy Kidder, depicts Farmer’s mission to provide health care internationally and talks about all the difficulties that Farmer and his team had to overcome.

Paul Farmer connects with people whose backgrounds are diverse from his. He has many methods in how he does this. Farmer listens to people. This is very important because he can learn their side in, for example, an argument. Listening to people also makes them feel respected and important. This is especially important in a business situation. For example, if someone’s boss or a higher ranking person is there, and they do not feel respected, there is a high chance that they would fire that person. Farmer is also not superficial. He doesn’t give, “yes,” or “no,” or short and basic answers. When Paul is asked something, he often answers from his heart. This is especially shown through his books. Tracy Kidder writes about how in Farmer’s

When the sun slowly peeps over the range of mountains, birds shake the morning dew off their feathers and give a cheerful song that would lift even the most sorrowful of spirits. A light fog wraps around the mountain range, reaching to touch every bit of life thriving there. The slight chill in the air is enough to give a gentle shiver, but not enough for the need of a jacket. A breeze tickles the trees, making their leaves shake and sway with laughter. Sunlight seeps in past the thick canopy of branches with hopes of being able to reach the damp mountain earth. The mountains are the best place to live to be relaxed, see the most beauty, and never get bored.