LoveReading Says
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.
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Deborah Maclaren
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About
In The Shadow of the Mountain Synopsis
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.
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9781913183790 |
| Publication date: |
6th April 2023 |
| Author: |
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado |
| Publisher: |
Monoray an imprint of Octopus Publishing Group |
| Format: |
Paperback |
| Pagination: |
384 pages |
| Primary Genre |
Biographies & Autobiographies
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| Other Genres: |
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| Recommendations: |
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Press Reviews
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado Press Reviews
Powerful... Patriarchal societies champion summit journeys as tales of conquest. But Vasquez-Lavado understands that we do not conquer Everest, just like we do not conquer trauma. Instead, we must yield ourselves to the chasms and unexpected avalanches. And herein lies the wisdom of this work: In a world that demands us to harden, to tell stories of strength and triumph, the bravest act can be embracing our inner child, our fears, our truths - New York Times
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. Her incredibly warm voice reveals how she rose from the darkest moments of her life to become an inspiration and advocate for others. This book is a testament to the power of extraordinary vulnerability, empathy, and selflessness and a reaffirmation of the healing that comes from building a community. I'm in awe of her strength and courage that she has captured so beautifully in this memoir. - Selena Gomez
Told with searing honesty, this vividly wrought memoir chronicles an almost superhuman journey from the deep vortex of trauma and self-destructive compulsions to the heights of physical endurance and spiritual emergence. -- Dr. Gabor Mate, Bestselling Author of In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts
A compelling, experience-rich read....nail-biting and, at times, painfully funny. Her ability to capture the complexity of Everest is flawless and unflinching. Everest is, at times, visible as an overcrowded theme park for wealthy white men who leave pockets of garbage behind. In the end, the mountain has the final say about who gets to summit. By the time Vasquez-Lavado reaches the top, breathing from an oxygen tank, her body is wasting away. There is so much pain in healing, she observes, but also - being close enough to touch the sky - there is awe. In the Shadow of the Mountain has all the elements a great memoir requires - a strong voice, cinematic prose, a hero to root for - in essence, an extraordinary story about an extraordinary woman's life. - San Francisco Chronicle
