A novel · ships December 4, 2026A novel · available now

The Highest Mountain

A 310-page softcover novel by Joseph Anfuso. One man’s long road from an Oregon prison cell to the person he was meant to become, inspired by Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables.

$14.95Regular price $19.95preorder price

Ships December 4, 2026.In stock and ready to ship.

17,749 verified store reviewsBBB A+25+ years publishing

The Highest Mountain softcover, standing
“A terrific read!”
Caryn Rivadeneira, Former Managing Editor, Christianity Today Magazine

Inspired by Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables

A sweeping story of redemption that explores the tension between mercy and justice, and the power of love, grace, and forgiveness to transform a wounded human heart.

The story

One long road back

From an Oregon prison to a farm in rural Georgia, and home again to face the past.

  1. I

    Oregon

    A stranger’s grace

    Newly released from an Oregon prison, Ahmed “Adam” Khalil has no family, no hope, and a heart hardened by resentment. But an elderly stranger’s extraordinary act of grace inspires him to turn his life around and become “a good man.”

  2. II

    Georgia

    A child to protect

    When the relentless pursuit of his former parole officer forces him to flee, Adam unexpectedly becomes guardian to a child who has nowhere else to turn. Together, they seek refuge on a community farm in rural Georgia, where Adam discovers what it truly means to be good.

  3. III

    Oregon, years later

    The man who never stopped searching

    Years later, circumstances draw him back to Oregon to confront the past he fled, and the man who never stopped searching for him.

Joseph Anfuso

About the author

Joseph Anfuso

Joseph Anfuso is the founder of Forward Edge International, a faith-based nonprofit he established in 1983. In his 40 years leading the organization, Forward Edge sent more than 20,000 short-term volunteers to many parts of the United States and 34 other countries, providing urgently needed medical and dental care, building homes for vulnerable children, and aiding thousands of people affected by natural disasters.

After earning a BA in English literature from Rutgers College in 1970, Joseph spent four years traveling the world: a motorcycle trip from Athens to London, a stint as a crew member aboard a ship in the Pacific, an overland journey from Germany to India, and a year in Nepal, where he studied the sitar and trekked to Mount Everest Base Camp.

A native New Yorker and the son of former U.S. congressman Victor Anfuso, Joseph has lived in Vancouver, Washington, just across the Columbia River from Portland, since 1989. He and his wife, Karen, have three grown children and eight grandchildren, all girls. The Highest Mountain is his first novel.

Also by Joseph Anfuso

Message in a Body cover
A memoir Message in a Body Born into a prominent political family in New York, Joseph set out on a journey that took him from the streets of London and New York to the heights of the Himalayas. What found him there changed his life, and thousands of others. Buy on Amazon
The Best Story of Your Life cover
Faith and purpose The Best Story of Your Life What is God’s plan for my life? Drawing on his own experience, Joseph offers a fresh answer: your calling may be found in responding with faith and obedience to circumstances you never anticipated or sought. Buy on Amazon

Early praise

Praise for The Highest Mountain

The Highest Mountain is a fantastic book! Readers familiar with Les Misérables will see the connection, and those who are not will enjoy it on its own. A terrific read!
Caryn Rivadeneira, Former Managing Editor, Christianity Today Magazine
“The Highest Mountain is a story about transcending the labels imposed on us by society and by ourselves. It powerfully and eloquently illustrates that through faith, compassion, and the courage to choose differently, even the most broken lives can find restoration.”
Deb Knapp, TV Anchor, KATU TV, Portland, Oregon
“I was riveted right up to the final chapter. I wholeheartedly encourage you to read The Highest Mountain. Like me, you will find yourself deeply moved by the saga of Ahmed ‘Adam’ Khalil.”
Dr. Jay A. Barber, President Emeritus, Warner Pacific University · Former Mayor, Seaside, Oregon
The Highest Mountain softcover

The book

The Highest Mountain

A novel by Joseph Anfuso

$14.95Regular price $19.95preorder price

Ships December 4, 2026.In stock and ready to ship.

Format
Softcover
Pages
310
Size
5.5 × 8.5 in
ISBN
978-1-63846-234-7
Publisher
Pediment Publishing
Ships
December 4, 2026In stock

For the reader in your life

A story worth giving

For anyone who believes a hardened heart can change, and that even the most broken life can find its way back.

The book on a lodge porch railing at golden hour, a snow-capped peak beyond
The book in a flat lay with reading glasses, coffee and pine
The book on kraft paper tied with twine for a holiday gift

The Highest Mountain

A novel of mercy, justice, and redemption by Joseph Anfuso

$14.95Regular price $19.95

Ships December 4, 2026.In stock and ready to ship.

The Highest Mountain $14.95 Regular price $19.95