LoveReading Says
Silvia grew up in Peru, suffered sexual abuse between the ages of 6 and 10 by a family friend. This is such a vivid and honest story which must have taken such strength and courage to write. We join Silvia on her journey to the warrior and absolute "badass" she is today, healing her trauma through nature.
Climbing over the Hillary Bridge for the first time to Everest in 2005 Silvia felt at home, that she could breathe more easily, and that for the first time in her life, the shadow of the mountain overpowered her shadow of trauma and she realised your trauma isn’t the same as your identity.
Silvia set up her non profit Courageous Girls and tells of the incredible experience hiking to Everest base camp with other survivors of sexual violence. It's a physically tough and emotional journey where the team form an incredible bond and you appreciate fully that sisterhood is not just a phrase.
She went on to become one of the first women in the world to climb the Seven Summits.
Soon to be a major motion picture starring Selena Gomez who calls Silvia "a warrior", you can't help but love everything she has achieved thus far. And you cant wait to see what comes next. I want to press this book into the hands of everyone I know."
The LoveReading LitFest invited Silvia to the festival to talk about In The Shadow of the Mountain.
The digitally native, all year round, online literature and books festival, with new content released every week is a free-for-all-users festival.
What are you waiting for? Check out a preview of the event and sign up to become a member.
Deborah Maclaren
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In the Shadow of the Mountain Synopsis
"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
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 chronicling 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.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781250871084 |
| Publication date: |
7th February 2023 |
| Author: |
Silvia VasquezLavado |
| Publisher: |
Holt Paperbacks an imprint of Henry Holt & Company |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
320 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Biographies & Autobiographies
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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