In The Shadow of the Mountain

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage. * Selena Gomez *
An incredibly powerful story * Sunday Independent *
Powerful * New York Times *
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 *
Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a woman possessed of uncommon strength, rare compassion, and a ferocious stubbornness to not allow the trauma of her childhood to destroy her life. * Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love *
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 Maté, Bestselling Author of In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts *
powerful and relatable... a moving commemoration of mountains and mothers * Sunday Independent *
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 Maté, 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 *