Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death, child abuse, pregnancy loss, and animal death.

The Mountain Between Us explores two different timelines, both of which emphasize love’s crucial role in humanity. In the past, Ben initially ran because of a desire to please his father. He woke up each morning to run six miles and dedicated his high school life to improving his times. However, he realized that his father held no love for him. This realization materialized in Ben’s decision to intentionally slow his pace in his final race, recognizing that “no matter what time [he] turned in, it wouldn’t be good enough for [his father]. National record or not. He would always assume that [he] had not tried hard enough” (87).

However, what Ben lacked from his father—love—he found with Rachel. After he began to train with her, running served not as a form of pain but as a way to build their relationship and enjoy time together. As he explains to her in his message, “You poured in you and filled me up. For the first time, I felt no pain. You gave me the one thing he never did.