"Wow. Just wow. This incredible story just blew me away with it's beautifully written words and inspirational story of triumph through adversity."
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.
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| Primary Genre | Biographies & Autobiographies |
| Other Genres: | |
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YOU DON'T CONQUER A MOUNTAIN. YOU SURRENDER TO IT ONE STEP AT A TIME.
Despite a high-flying career, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado knew she was hanging by a thread. Deep in the throes of alcoholism, and hiding her sexuality from her family, she was repressing the abuse she'd suffered as a child.
When her mother called her home to Peru, she knew something finally had to change. It did. Silvia began to climb.
Something about the sheer size of the mountains, the vast emptiness and the nearness of death, woke her up. And then, she took her biggest pain to the biggest mountain: Everest. The 'Mother of the World' allows few to reach her summit, but Silvia didn't go alone. Trekking with her to Base Camp, were five troubled young women on an odyssey that helped each confront their personal trauma, and whose strength and community propelled Silvia forward...
Beautifully written and deeply moving, In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of compassion, humility, and strength, inspiring us all to find have faith in our own heroism and resilience.
In The Shadow of the Mountain features in the following genres: Biographies & Autobiographies, Non-Fiction Books of the Month, Star Books, Self Help and Personal Development, Autobiography: adventurers and explorers, Climbing and mountaineering, Feminism and feminist theory, Walking, hiking, trekking, Sexual abuse and harassment, Biography, Literature and Literary studies, Recommendations, Health & Fitness, Biography: adventurers and explorers, Biography: general, Active outdoor pursuits, Sports, Gender studies: women and girls, Gender studies, gender groups, Social groups, communities and identities, Society and culture: general, Society and Social Sciences, Violence and abuse in society, Social and ethical issues, Autobiography: sport, Biography: sport
In The Shadow of the Mountain is available in Paperback, Hardback
In The Shadow of the Mountain was written by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado and published by Monoray an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group
In The Shadow of the Mountain has 384 pages
£10.79
