Snow Bound in September : a Re-imagining
by Laurie Whitehill Chong (2012)

Snow Bound in September : a Re-imagining is a paean to the author's grandparents, Robert and Lucia, who, in late September, 1915 set off on a three-day hike of the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Seasoned climbers and hikers, they knew what they were doing but, on the third day, became trapped on the mountain in a snow storm that confined them, and two friends, to a small mountain cabin where cold and a shortage of food threatened the success of the trip. Robert kept a diary and in Snow Bound in September : a Re-imagining the author refers to that diary and imagines what it must have been like that snowy September. In particular she re-imagines what it must have been like for Lucia, her grandmother, the silent partner in the original journal. The journal, and the author's commentary, allude to the joy of the expedition, and to the circumstances of the challenges with which they had to contend, as well as to the exhilaration and relief of their ultimate survival, and is subdivided into days. The author examines extracts from the original diary and poses questions about how it must have felt to be in that situation, how the climbers responded to the circumstances and to each other. The book is in journal-form and pocket journal-size, corresponding to her grandfather's original copy. It is illustrated with 14 linocuts, 7 of which are fold-out, portraying scenes of the hike as imagined, as well as portraits of the participants, as well as a map of the route inserted in a rear pocket. The book is casebound in cloth over boards with recessed title on the front cover and a wrap-around flap closure. This is copy no. 8 of 25, signed by the author.

"Mortals wander, but Mountains are as Old Friends"

(from the Foreword)