Ruger and the Absurd Mountain

Kirk lives alone in a log house above Montana's Clark Fork River, surrounded by books, mountains, wine-and an empty chair that reminds him of the life he once had.

Then he adopts Ruger, a reddish-brown shelter dog with a talent for silence, a suspicion of squirrels, and a surprisingly practical view of philosophy.

What begins with quiet hikes near home grows into an extraordinary journey across some of the world's great mountains: Kilimanjaro, Aconcagua, Denali, the Caucasus, the Matterhorn, and finally Everest. Along the way, Kirk believes he is teaching Ruger how to climb. Instead, Ruger is teaching Kirk how to live.

As Kirk becomes increasingly driven by the next summit, Ruger grows older but continues to follow him out of loyalty. On Everest, that loyalty finally reaches its limit. When Ruger turns toward the descent instead of the summit, Kirk must decide what matters more: the highest point on Earth or the dog who has followed him across the world.

For the first time, Kirk follows Ruger.

Funny, moving, and philosophical, Ruger and the Absurd Mountain is a story about grief, ambition, aging, friendship, and the strange truth that sometimes the creature you think you rescued is the one who brings you home.