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In the Shadow of the Mountain Level 5 Audio Cassette Set (2 Cassettes)

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Award-winning original fiction for learners of English. At seven levels, from Starter to Advanced, this impressive selection of carefully graded readers offers exciting reading for every student's capabilities. A tragic love story is uncovered as journalist Clare Crowe goes to Switzerland to bring home a relative's body. Clare's grandfather has been found frozen in a glacier, 74 years after a climbing accident. Clare knows this could make an interesting story for her newspaper, but as she investigates her grandfather's last climb, she learns that the accident wasn't as simple as she had first thought. 2 Audio Cassettes with complete text recordings from the book.

Audio Cassette

First published November 11, 1999

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Helen Naylor

62 books28 followers

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5 stars
38 (14%)
4 stars
70 (26%)
3 stars
93 (35%)
2 stars
52 (19%)
1 star
11 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
1 review
February 19, 2014
In the shadow of the mountain

If you like exciting, but sad love stories, you’ll love this book. It’s a very exciting and romantic book about a family secret and it’s hard to stop reading before you know the end of the story.
The book is written by Helen Naylor. I’ve already read some other books she has written, but this is the nicest and most interesting book I’ve read.

The book is about a smart, forty-six years old woman called Clare Newton. She works as journalist and lives in London. Her grandfather, Edward Crowe died in 1924, because of a horrible climbing accident at a famous, high mountain in Switzerland. She didn’t know him very well, because he died when she was a little girl and her grandmother and mother didn’t talk about her grandfather.

The body of Edward Crowe wasn’t found when he fell of the mountain in 1924, but after 74 years his body appears from the bottom of a glacier in Zermatt and someone of the family has to go there to identify the body. Clare decides to go to Zermatt to identify the body of her grandfather, but she also finds out that her family has a big secret which even Clare and her brother didn’t know.
Was the climbing accident of her grandfather just an accident? And why did her grandfather go to Zermatt? He wasn’t there just on holiday...

In the shadow of the mountain has very romantic moments, but also very exciting moments. It’s the best book I’ve ever read in English and it has a very fascinating story line.

Do you want to find out what has happened to Edward Crowe? If you want to, you should read the book!
Profile Image for Pilar.
354 reviews3 followers
November 18, 2023
Lectura obligatòria del curs B1 de l'EOI.

Una història d'amor no finalitzada perquè el 1924 moltes coses ni s'entenien ni es permetien. Surt a la llum el 1998 i la seva descoberta propicia una nova història d'amor entre dos dels descendents.

La vull tornar a llegir perquè ha sigut la meva primera lectura en anglès i l'he feta sense diccionari per no trencar el ritme. Per tant, he entès el global, però se'm poden haver escapat alguns matisos. Faré una nova lectura amb el diccionari al costat.
536 reviews
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April 4, 2013
This is a love story between two families. It reminds me of the movie "Possession."
Profile Image for Josep.
65 reviews
November 20, 2023
Es el primer llibre sencer que llegeixo en anglés… Adequat al meu nivell (aprox. B2), m’ha obligat a esforçar-me per entendre determinades expressions i lógicament, cercar aquelles paraules que desconeixia i em complicaven entendre les frases.

A banda d’això, és una història interessant, que manté una certa tensió narrativa, tot i ser un llibre curt de divulgació per aprenentatge de l’idioma. La protagonista, veient-se obligada a remoure el passat de la seva família, es qüestiona la seva vida…

El recomano a aquells que estiguin en un nivell B2.
Profile Image for Asma Khadraoui.
83 reviews6 followers
December 2, 2020
A great book about a suspecious death and a 74-year-old family secret.
The plot is simple but the narration made it very interesting. The story moves with a steady pace and the language is easy to understand.

Very short (under 100 pages) yet very engaging and exciting.
Very useful to English learners. Highly recommend to high schooler.
Profile Image for hima saki.
100 reviews51 followers
April 11, 2008
clare crowe a journalist,travel to switzerland to bring home the body of her grandfather,which has appeared from the bottom of a glacier 74 years a go.or was it an accident?

she finds out more about her family`s past then she expected decisions about her personal life
Profile Image for Tam  MisLecturasVarias.
106 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2025
Te espero en:
🫡 www.instagram.com/mislecturasvarias
🫡 www.descubremislecturasvarias.blogspo...

"In the Shadow of the Mountain" de Helen Naylor es una lectura agradable, especialmente para aquellos que buscan una novela romántica con un toque de misterio intergeneracional. La trama, aunque sencilla, teje una historia de amor imposible que se desarrolla lentamente, revelando secretos gradualmente. Si eres fanático de las historias de romance, esta novela te ofrece un viaje emocional a través del tiempo.

En cuanto al nivel de inglés, me pareció más apropiado para un B1 que para un B2. El lenguaje es accesible, sin vocabulario complejo ni expresiones difíciles, lo que la convierte en una lectura ligera y agradable. Esto es particularmente beneficioso para aquellos que, como yo, están trabajando en mejorar su inglés y prefieren lecturas que no requieran consultar constantemente el diccionario. Además, la brevedad del libro es un punto a favor, ideal para practicar la lectura en inglés sin sentirnos abrumados.

La historia se desarrolla a un ritmo pausado, permitiéndote conectar con los personajes y sumergirte en su mundo. El final abierto en esta ocasión resulta interesante, ya que te invita a reflexionar y decidir por ti mismo la verdadera naturaleza de los personajes y el desenlace de su historia. En resumen, es una opción ideal para una lectura relajante y entretenida, perfecta para una tarde tranquila.
21 reviews
January 11, 2025
It was a good story with potential to be better. What I disliked is the way the protagonist had tried to sort of justify her grandfathers behaviour of his leaving his wife and daughter. I can see how it may seem romantic but I personally despise that type of plot. Especially when they have a three year old kid together. Another thing I disliked was how the relationship with Bruno had felt a tad rushed, though it is a low level English book so I suppose there wasn’t much to do, it just felt casual one minute and the next they had become all serious about their relationship. What I did like was Clare’s character development; they way she had eventually realised how she relates to her grandfathers story of finding himself, which he did with Marianne, in reference to her quitting the job she no longer felt satisfied her and had accepted it and is now trying to find herself. I relate to her character in many ways; her love and rush for skiing, her feeling of being lost and not truly knowing herself nor her ambitions or goals, and, lastly, her undesired for a serious relationship but then getting overcome by her feelings toward a man at the very time she didn’t want it. Overall it was a pretty great story, an easy read for people whose English is not a first language, such as me, and pretty moving.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sara.
71 reviews13 followers
October 29, 2022
🏫Es un libro que pertenece a una colección de Cambridge @ del nivel B2 de inglés.

✍🏼El libro para repasar y potenciar el reading y el vocabulary en inglés está bien, ya que la trama trata de una muerte en una montaña hace muchos años, y sobre una historia de amor entre dos familias. Ahora la familia intenta averiguar qué pasó

📝Al inicio hay una pagina con los nombres de los personajes explicando quién es quién , lo que ayuda a que no nos perdamos en la historia. También incluye un mapa.

🧗🏻El vocabulario trata de conversaciones entre personas, llamadas telefónicas, versiones contadas desde diferentes perspectivas.

Podéis encontrar más reseñas en mi perfil de IG @_sarateacher
84 reviews
November 10, 2021
Ein Buch was ich von meiner Englischlehererin bekommen und in einen Rutsch durchgelesen habe, trotz das es auf Englisch ist . Das Englisch ist / war super zu verstehen und das Buch an sich hat mir eigentlich ganz gut gefallen . Da es eine Mischung aus Familiegeheimnisse und Drama ist. Für ein Schulbuch echt nicht schlecht.
Profile Image for Kat.
998 reviews6 followers
May 27, 2017
I'm not the target audience of this learning to read book but was swayed by the lovely Matterhorn picture on the front. It had maybe 2% of mountain interest, but only took half an hour to read so hey ho.
1 review
September 7, 2019
Well.... it is just a book for english students...

The plot is simple, short and the ending very dissapointing, however, the aim of this book I guess is not to win a prize but introduce people to read in english and get them used to that language.
Profile Image for Minea Licer.
65 reviews
May 15, 2020
Me compré hace unos 5 años (cuando estudiaba para el first) 4 libros de estos y solo leí 2, por lo que ahora los he retomado para ver si después paso a libros "de verdad". Lo recomiendo más para alguien que tenga un nivel B1 que un nivel B2 ya que es bastante fácil.
7 reviews1 follower
February 23, 2018
The story itself was OK. The ending was a bit disappointing though.
Profile Image for Ana Valeva.
22 reviews2 followers
December 27, 2019
Just a short story, not too engaging, but definitely useful for English learners. I believe the author could have used more complex expressions on some occasions.
Profile Image for Amelie Jongmans.
62 reviews
May 23, 2021
the first book I ever read in English. i really liked it, a little bit predictable but thats fine. I would reccomend for a small read.
Profile Image for Tutuch.
115 reviews2 followers
December 18, 2022
Es un libro perfecto para comenzar a leer en inglés.
Siento que es como leer un chismecito que no te esperas para nada
Profile Image for Marina Gómez.
13 reviews
January 29, 2024
At first, i thought that it would be a boring story, but when i continued my reading, the story turned more and more interesting.
Profile Image for ✨BELLE✨.
158 reviews
March 13, 2022
Forma parte de una colección de libros en ingles de Cambridge English Readers, son de mucha ayuda con el tema de aprender y familiarizarse con la gramática inglesa y la interpretación. También son historias cortas que resultan muy interesantes.
9 reviews4 followers
July 27, 2008
During the time reading this story, it made me curious about the death 74 years ago when Clare Newton, a journalist, travels to Switzerland in order to bring home the body of her grandfather. The body appeared from the bottom of a glacier 74 years after a climbing accident.
At first time, Clare wants to make interesting news for her newspaper about her grandfather’s story. But then, she investigates her grandfather’s last climbing, she knows the accident was not as simple as she thought first.
During the time in Switzerland, Clare met and loved Bruno who is also relative with a woman her grandfather loves. Bruno helped Clare to find out everything relate to events in the past from his grandfather who is brother of the woman.
After Clare knows her boss adds some untrue details on her grandfather’ story to attract readers, she decide to not continue about the story because she knows everything that is exposed will make her mother sad.

3 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2008
This is a short story about past and present. The body of clare's grandfather was pulled out of glacier after over 60 years in the moutain. The unclear death of Clear's grandfather was solved after Clare come to Switzerland to pick up his body. He had a wife and a daughter in 1921. However, he was in love with Bluno's sister. He was trying to move to switzerland to live with her. At that time, his wife's lover come and jion with him into a mountain climbing. Maybe he was killed by that man. In the present, Clare meet Bruno, the third generation. They fall in love with each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
2,263 reviews5 followers
March 8, 2009
This book has a great premise: A woman's grandfather's body is found at the foot of mountain years after his death. There are twists and turns: unfortunately there weren't enough of them. The plot should have twisted and turned some more.
The biggest problem I see with this book is that Clare readily believes the elderly mountain guide's story about her grandfather's death as the truth. There is no proof given to back up his story, however. This is a major flaw in the book, which otherwise would have been pretty good.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews

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