Dixon, Descending

A Novel

By: Karen Outen

Narrated by: JD Jackson

“Compelling.”—The Boston Globe

“Poignant…heartbreaking.”—The Christian Science Monitor

“This one hits hard.”—Publishers Weekly

When Nate suggests that they attempt to be the first Black American men to summit Mount Everest, his younger brother Dixon can’t refuse. The two are determined to prove something—to themselves and to each other.

Dixon interrupts his orderly life as a school psychologist, leaving behind disapproving friends, family, and one particularly fragile student. Once on the mountain, Nate and Dixon are met with extreme weather conditions, oxygen deprivation, and precarious terrain. But as much as they’ve prepared for this, Mt. Everest is always fickle. And in one devastating moment, Dixon’s world is upended.

Dixon returns home and attempts to resume his job, but things have shifted: for him and for the students he left behind. Ultimately, Dixon must confront the truth of what happened on the mountain and come to terms with who can and cannot be saved. Dixon, Descending offers us a captivating, shattering portrait of the ways we’re reshaped by our decisions—and what it takes to angle ourselves, once again, toward hope.

“Outen understands first-class human drama.”—Gabriel Bump, author of The New Naturals

“The most engulfing, transporting, deeply humane novel I’ve read in ten years.”—Monica Wood, author of How to Read a Book

©2024 Karen Outen (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Longlisted for the Crook's Corner Book Prize

A Library Journal Editors' Pick

“Dixon Descending is well-researched. The reader is dropped into the world of ice axes and crampons, pee bottles and carabiners, feeling every lick of wind on the mountain. But the novel uses the climb itself as a framing device to explore not just what drives people to do such things, but also what the consequences are of surviving when others don’t. Outen clearly loves her characters deeply, and writes Nate and Dixon’s compelling story with love.”—Boston Globe

“Outen’s detailed accounts of climbing Everest are so engrossing, and her depiction of grief and the many different forms it takes and the burdens it creates are compelling and insightful. This is a story I will not soon forget.”—Buzz Magazine

"Dixon’s story compels readers to consider the price of ambition and what it means to face our own mortality."—Chapter 16

The well woven and engaging plot lines

l found the story equally genuine in environments that were as different as night and day. I was moved by the characters. even to tears at some points. It was a worthwhile listen.

Complicated characters and beautiful story

4.75 stars for Dixon, Descending by Karen Outen. This book really just fell an eyelash shy of my 5 star rating cut off. I qualify 5 stars to any book that I would not change a thing and can recommend to any reader as a book you simply HAVE TO READ. This book really came so close to that, IMO, I rounded it up to 5 stars. It's the story of two brothers, Dixon and Nate, and their intent to to summit Mt Everest and become the first two Black men to do so. As someone who is obsessed with mountaineering and Mt Everest, in particular, I could not wait to read this. And, the mountaineering details totally stand up as facts. I felt the author's inclusion of pieces like the "death statement" which is the written disclaimer the climbers have to sign related to the options for the removal of their body if they die on Everest at different altitudes and what the cost would be - absolutely brilliant and effective. Outen writes like an experienced mountaineer and must have done a lot of research. I also felt the relationship between the brothers was just SO deeply touching. The story is told from the perspective of Dixon and goes back and forth from the day Nate proposes they climb Everest to moments on the mountain leading up to the summit and then takes a hard left to present day, post Everest, and you know that something has happened. But you don't know what. The pacing was perfect until about this point which is why I initially gave it 4.75 stars instead of 5. I just felt that the tension was broken and the book kind of lulled into almost boring territory for a brief bit here. However, I felt like the author intentionally took that left turn and without giving anything away, I'll leave it at that. The second half of the story really becomes about Dixon, a child psychologist who works at a high school, and his post Everest life. The author does not tell you until very close to the end what really happened on Everest. So, in spite of the abrupt dive in pacing, you are very compelled to keep turning the pages. You have to know what happened. Instead, Outen focuses on Dixon's relationship with a boy who he took under his wing, Marcus, who is being bullied by a troubled teen, Shiloh, and a tragic and life altering event that occurs further complicating Dixon's mental and emotional health after Everest and who he sees himself to be. This sub plot, although a bit drawn out, is such a beautiful thread in the story of Dixon and lends to the gorgeous complexity of the character. My heart is still aching for all of these characters and I guess I will have to change the rating to 5 stars based on that alone. Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys complicated characters and messy family relationships as well as a little mystery and some mountaineering and adventure along the way. Really beautiful storytelling by this author.

Well researched and throughly amazing

This book is thoroughly amazing and thought provoking. I loved it so much! I heard about this book from a podcast and it did not disappoint!

Great read!

Loved it, a really great read. Loved the characters of Dixon, Nate, and Herbert. An amazing story of grief.

interesting novel

Like many novels, this story moved back and forth in time, but in a more bumpy way than many other novels. The writing was decent, but the strength was with the characters, who were interesting and came alive to me. And the plot and subplots were fascinating. There is a lot to like in the book: Dixon's life and personality, his relationship with his brother, his connection to his job as school psychologist and to two students (I am a teacher and particularly liked this aspect of the book), and the challenge of an amateur climbing Mount Everest. The first half of the novel was interesting enough to keep me listening, while the second half, in the aftermath of the climb, drew me in more. There is a sameness about so many novels, but this felt different in many ways, which was a good thing. The two brothers are Black, with Dixon's racial identity being real and complicated. Overall, a very good novel!

Great self reflective book.

I did a lot if self reflection while reading this one. I world recommend to those who are struggling in a rut of some kind.