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In The Rope, author Nevada Barr takes readers back to the beginning of Anna Pigeon’s foray into the wilds of National Park service. Here we meet a vulnerable but resilient Anna as she fights for her life in a place that she has yet to learn the skills to survive.
After suffering a traumatic loss, Anna Pigeon leaves New York, where she worked as a stage manager, and becomes an employee of the Glen Canyon National Recreational Area. Cleaning the beaches and campgrounds of human waste isn’t exactly a glamorous occupation, but it keeps her busy while keeping her mind off everything she’s lost.
On her day off, Anna goes on a hike into the park and disappears. As far as her coworkers are concerned, the quiet woman, who rarely left her room except to work, simply packed up and left without a word. No one realizes that she’s missing.
Anna wakes up naked in a jar—a dry natural well—with no supplies, a dislocated shoulder, and no idea how to save herself. Scared and alone, she pulls herself together and digs deep for the strength to get out of the trap that someone has set for her.
Nowhere else will you find such passion and depth of character as in an Anna Pigeon mystery novel. Anna is one of those women that we all strive to emulate: strong and passionate, with a furious need to protect not only the last remaining wonders of nature but also the victims of both cruel people and the environment’s fury.
Tension builds to a fine point as Anna fights against an unknown variable in the nightmare that her life has become. As Ms. Barr peels away the layers that make up Anna Pigeon, we learn surprising things about her character—and though she may appear standoffish at times, you can’t help but admire her.
Set against the beauty of Lake Powell and Glen Canyon, The Rope comes alive with majestic clarity. Through the author’s imaginative eye, you’ll get to visit spectacular places. She’ll plant you squarely in the middle of it and leave you breathless.
The Rope is not only a suspenseful mystery; it’s also a study in human nature—what makes a person tick, what sets off one but not another. As the plot unfolds, you’ll horribly misjudge and get tangled in the snarl of clues that are fed to you one after another.
Emotionally deep and electrifyingly gripping, The Rope catches hold and doesn’t let go for the entire trip. It’s not to be missed!
