Product Description

This is a personal account of one of the greatest losses in the climbing world. It is an elegant and gripping story of tragedy, as well as unexpected joy. It is an entree into the emotional world of climbers and their families. The benefits are given to the Nepal-based Khumbu Climbing School.In 1999 Jennifer Lowe's husband Alex Lowe died tragically in an avalanche on the Himalayan mountain Shishapangma, leaving her alone to raise three sons. Alex was widely considered one of the greatest modern climbers and the world mourned his loss - Tom Brokaw did a one-hour special for Dateline, and Sting narrated and composed music for a tribute film.While Jenni and her sons faced the absence of the most important man in their lives, Alex's best friend and longtime climbing partner, Conrad Anker, was dealing with the terrible loss, as well as feelings of survivor's guilt. Jenni and Conrad gradually, and unexpectedly, found solace in one another and married in 2001 - Conrad is now the adoptive father of the three Lowe children.Through letters and expedition notes from Alex, "Forget Me Not" spans continents and tells the story of three people whose lives intertwine to a degree they could never have imagined. Jenni's account takes readers inside a woman's heart and mind as she navigates her shattered life and survives, ultimately finding transformative love through her great loss. From the valleys of Montana to the peaks of the Himalayas, this never-before told story exposes the controversial yet ultimately redemptive power of love.The foreword is by Jon Krakauer.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #7152 in eBooks
• Published on: 2008-05
• Format: Kindle Book
• Number of items: 1

Review
"A painful, beautiful and truthful memoir... Jennifer Lowe-Anker is a fluid and expressive observer of substantive, named details in nature, the minute study of which she and Alex shared, and of their lives. The book is most revelatory." -- Rock and Ice Magazine

"Forget Me Not is a sweet, honest, and heartfelt recount of Jenni's life... Jenni's words flow freely and truthfully, recounting both good and bad, pain and joy in her life with Alex. What is perhaps most poignant is her love of place, of Montana, of the wildflower fields of her youth, and of summer days spent with her grandmother in the land she loves. This is a story of true love, in many different regards." --Outside Bozeman

"Given Alex Lowe's high profile as one of the world's best climbers, it stands to reason that several notable authors [are] qualified to recount his life and accomplishments in the first book following his tragic death below a massive avalanche on Shishapangma. But no one is more qualified than his widow, Jennifer Lowe-Anker... Jennifer delivers a candid glimpse into the life of a driving and complicated force otherwise known as Stewart Alexander Lowe." -- Gripped Magazine

"Honest memoir." -- Outside Magazine

"Partly a women's memoir and partly an exotic travel adventure story." -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author
Jennifer Lowe-Anker is a successful artist whose often whimsical paintings are rendered in vivid colour and rich texture inspired by her Montana upbringing. Her work hangs in the private collections of Peter Fonda, Michael Keaton, and Jeff Bridges, as well as in the corporate collections of Patagonia. Lowe-Anker is founder of the Alex Lowe Charitable Foundation and its Khumbu Climbing School, which trains Nepalese in climbing and guiding skills, enabling them to successfully work and climb in their home region.

Customer Reviews

When you walk into the wilds they can overtake you...
After Alex died I was devistated.

As a member of Alex's climbing community I have met many that knew him.

Unfortunately for me I never had the pleasure. He was a 'climbers, climber', a man that always had something to give, to a beginner or an old seasoned alpinist looking at new territory. He was a hero to me and my climbing friends. When he was lost we were all in shock. Fear set in, we could not believe a climber of his stature could be taken from us.

I love this book. Jennifer has provided a painful but heartfelt view into her life with Alex in the early years. Plus an insightful view on the the changes that evolved after his death.

Writing about a new found love after a devistating period took guts. I was surprised how well her writing grew during this period.

I have been lucky to have met her husband Conrad on several occassions as a member of the AAC. It is great to see them so happy now, and I am one of the lucky few to get a feel for these incredible folks.

riveting story of inspiring courage
I loved this book. I could not put it down. I also bought it for my friends and family.
Jennifer's story is one that inspires courage. It is a fascinating story of adventure and love. It was very helpful to me in accepting people and loving people as they are. thanks for all your hard work sharing your story with us jennifer lowe anker. natalie alderson moog

The Story of Humanity at its Finest
Whether they admit to it or not, each individual has a personal idol to which he or she aspires to achieve the same pathway of success. It may be an international politician, a Nobel Prize winner, or a run-of-the-mill acquaintance. For me, this person is Jenni Lowe-Anker.

I have known Jenni throughout my life. While my father was off heli-skiing in Jackson Hole, WY, she offered to drive my nine-month pregnant mother to the hospital for my birth. I have babysat her boys. She was always the "super-Mom," somehow balancing three young boys, an Everest-summiting husband, an artistic empire, and flawless good looks - all with seemingly unattainable poise and perfection.

Every widow can tell the story of her heartache. But in Forget Me Not, Jenni tells the story of humanity at its finest. Several years ago I wrote a paper for a class at my alma mater of Georgetown University describing the spiritual effect of Alex Lowe's death on my hometown of Bozeman, Montana. The town was in shock - and in response an overwhelming number of mountain townhouses hung Tibetan prayer flags on their porches. They did so not because of any middle-eastern trend or recent yoga class, but on behalf of the ideals for which Alex, Jenni, and their beautiful boys represented, and continue to represent to this day.

I am proud to recommend this memoir to my friends, to my family, and to anyone who believes that the powers of change and of love are fundamental aspects of the human spirit.