Thin Air

Beth and Allen Cheng live a quiet life with their three small children in the small town of Bellevue, Washington, close to the mountains of the west coast. Beth works as a wildlife biologist and her current project is tracking the goat population through the high elevations. Though Beth enjoys her job, Allen hates that she must work to supplement their household income. They had agreed that she would work so he could take the pastor's position at a small local church. The story describes their quiet, yet comfortably hectic family life as Beth leaves for the airport to board a small plane that will take her high above the mountainous terrain to count the goats. While she and her family go about their routine, Dennis Doyle experiences a far different existence. Instead of family, he has chosen a life of solitude deep in the hills, as far from humanity as he can get. His Vietnam past haunts him even after thirty years if living alone. Beth and Dennis eventually cross paths high in the mountains. Her Asian appearance brings back the nightmares of the jungles of Vietnam and he has moments where he can no longer distinguish between the past and the present. Beth, being strong in her faith, fears for her life, but she knows God has a purpose for putting her with this troubled man. Bette Nordberg brings to life the horrors of war and how the experience can manifest itself in one's mind. She does a wonderful job of helping the reader get to know Dennis Doyle and Beth Cheng. And, though Dennis appears on the surface to be a selfish, crazy hermit, we come to find that he still has a warm heart no matter how hard he tries to stay detached. And Beth, though she is thrown into a situation where she must face much suffering, she questions her faith, but she never falters. She continues to seek God's will and asks for guidance and strength through Him.

Bette Nordberg has produced another work of dazzling fiction. The suspense in Thin Air kept me glued to the pages even when other responsibilities called. I lived in the skin of Beth, feeling her pain when the plane crashed, her longing for kids and husband, her fear she would never see them again. I came to understand Viet Nam vets in a way I never could in the past--even though I am married to one. Bravo to Nordberg once again. I eagerly await her next novel.