In the Shadow of the Mountain
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- $24.99
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- $24.99
Publisher Description
“In climbing the Seven Summits, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado did nothing less than take back her own life—one brave step at a time. She will inspire untold numbers of souls with this story, for her victory is a win on behalf of all of us.”—Elizabeth Gilbert
This audiobook is read by the author.
"Through her narration, Vasquez-Lavado, whose first language is Spanish, conveys a lifetime of warmth, humor and steely determination."- Bookpage
"Complex and compelling, Vasquez-Lavado’s quest to heal herself from the deep wounds of patriarchy is also a vibrantly feminist celebration of female resilience."—Kirkus Reviews
"Making history is nothing new for adventurous mountaineer, explorer, entrepreneur, author, and activist Silvia Vasquez-Lavado."—Out Magazine
Endless ice. Thin air. The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below. This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning, pulse-raising memoir following her journey to Mount Everest.
A Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley, privately, she was hanging by a thread. Deep in the throes of alcoholism, hiding her sexuality from her family, and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child, she started climbing. Something about the brute force required for the ascent—the risk and spirit and sheer size of the mountains and death’s close proximity—woke her up. She then took her biggest pain as a survivor to the biggest mountain: Everest.
“The Mother of the World,” as it’s known in Nepal, allows few to reach her summit, but Silvia didn’t go alone. She gathered a group of young female survivors and led them to base camp alongside her. It was never easy. At times hair-raising, nerve-racking, and always challenging, Silvia remembers the acute anxiety of leading a group of novice climbers to Everest’s base, all the while coping with her own nerves of summiting. But, there were also moments of peace, joy, and healing with the strength of her fellow survivors and community propelling her forward.
In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of heroism, one which awakens in all of us a lust for adventure, an appetite for risk, and faith in our own resilience.
A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In this thrilling memoir, a Silicon Valley tech hero finds peace by conquering the world’s highest mountains. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado was outwardly successful as an executive, but she lived in fear, often turning to alcohol to cope with her past trauma and abuse. To overcome her challenges, Vasquez-Lavado set a personal goal of climbing all of the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on each continent. Vasquez-Lavado’s moving memoir draws us into her stunning real-life adventures in some of the earth’s bleakest settings. Hearing Vasquez-Lavado relive her own harrowing trek up Everest makes this uplifting tale all the more poignant. In the Shadow of the Mountain might inspire you to reach for new heights.