In The Shadow of the Mountain

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***** 'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage' - Selena Gomez 'An incredibly powerful story' Sunday Independent '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 'Powerful' - New York Times 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.

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a humanitarian, mountaineer, explorer, social entrepreneur, and technologist living in San Francisco. In 2014, she launched Courageous Girls to help survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking find their own inner strength. Courageous Girls has had projects in Nepal, the United States, and Peru. Vasquez-Lavado was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the Corporate Heroes of 2015. CNET named her one of the 20 Most Influential Latinos in Silicon Valley. She has also been recognized by the Peruvian government as a cultural ambassador. She is a member of the Explorers Club and one of the few women in the world to complete the "Seven Summits."

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 Mate, Bestselling Author of In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts * 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 *