Mimi Zieman M.D.

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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.

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.… (más)

Wow! What a read. The story that Mimi tells of her childhood and journey toward adventure, exploration and freedom is riddled with tragedy, rampant sin seen throughout the world, beauty, amazing opportunity and a desire to follow the rules and yet also rebel. It is not written in a perfectly chronological way but is easy to follow along with and actually feels a lot like the way you would remember your own story- leaping from one memory to the next, only to go back to another memory from a previous time. Her descriptions of different sights and feelings were compelling and gave a good picture- whether good or terrifying. There is quite a bit of sexual content, most not explicit but there are some strong word pictures. She talks about religion but seems to not adhere to a certain religion but rather relates things to being spiritual. It was interesting to hear of her cultural experiences, the ways in which she experienced nature, and ultimately her journey with the men who climbed the East Face of Mount Everest.… (más)