Book Review: Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman

About:

Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure by Mimi Zieman is a memoir of a medical student acting as a team doctor on a climbing expedition. Dr. Zieman is a practicing physician, writer, and speaker.

• 244 pages
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Falcon Guides
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1493078437

My rat­ing for Tap Dancing on Everest — 5
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Thoughts:

I enjoy books about mountain climbing and have always been fascinated by Mt. Everest. When I started this book, I didn’t know I’d heard about this specific expedition, attempting to ascend Everest’s East Face by a new route.

What makes Tap Dancing on Everest by Mimi Zieman is that it’s told from the perspective of a support person, not a seasoned climber. Ms. Zieman, a third-year medical student, joined the expedition to hone her skills (with the school’s permission) and have an adventure.

The story is not that of the expedition, per se, but that of a strong-spirited, independent woman alone with a bunch of macho men in the Himalayas. Her journey from the concrete jungle of New York City to Colorado to Nepal is engrossing.

The author’s perspective on being the only woman on the expedition, and that on the human body is very interesting and enlightening. Like many of us (men as well) she had body image issues, but unlike many of us, she also had to deal with crude solutions to serious health issues in a place as remote as another world.

The only thing I found strange is the opening chapter. This is where the young medical student is awaiting the climbers to come back, knowing something went wrong. Her story is interesting enough, there was no need for a “hook” to keep me reading with unanswered questions.

If you want a book about climbing, this isn’t it, but it’s a fantastic memoir of a mountaineer. The support personnel on these expeditions don’t get enough credit and appreciation, which they certainly deserve.

Zohar — Man of la Book
Dis­claimer: I got this book for free
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account, the money is usually spent on books

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Summary

Reviewer

Man of la Book

Review Date

2024-03-26

Reviewed Item

Tap Dancing on Everest: A Young Doctor’s Unlikely Adventure by Mimi Zieman

Author Rating

5