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In Strength And Shadow: The Mervyn Davies Story
by David Roach Mervyn DaviesFew rugby players have matched the achievements of Welshman Mervyn Davies, the shrewd, gutsy number 8 with the heart of a lion. In what was a remarkable career, he won two Grand Slams, three Triple Crowns, earned thirty-eight consecutive Wales caps, was captain of his national team and played in two victorious Lions tours. From the tail end of the 1960s through the first half of the glorious '70s period, 'Merv the Swerve' - with that mop of black hair and trademark headband - cut an iconic figure in the world's great rugby arenas. Teammates and opponents respected him, fans loved him and he was a natural leader of men both on and off the field.Then, in March 1976, everything changed. Mervyn was leading Swansea in a semi-final cup clash when he suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. He began that fateful Sunday preparing for just another high-profile game but ended it fighting for his life. Wales, and the watching sporting world, could do nothing but wait and hope. And just when the odds seemed stacked irreversibly against him, Mervyn did what he had always done: he beat them. Mervyn's life story is one of what was and what might have been. From locker-room tales to the loneliness of rehabilitation, Mervyn's account is funny, moving and honest. He writes about his many highs and lows, about losing rugby but regaining his life, and shares his thoughts on the days he spent in shadow and in strength.
In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox
by Carol Burnett<P>Comedy legend Carol Burnett tells the hilarious behind-the-scenes story of her iconic weekly variety series, The Carol Burnett Show. <P>Who but Carol Burnett herself has the timing, talent, and wit to pull back the curtain on the Emmy-Award winning show that made television history for eleven glorious seasons? In Such Good Company delves into little-known stories of the guests, sketches and antics that made the show legendary, as well as some favorite tales too good not to relive again. Carol lays it all out for us, from the show's original conception to its evolution into one of the most beloved primetime programs of its generation. <P>Written with all the charm and humor fans expect from a masterful entertainer like Carol Burnett, In Such Good Company skillfully highlights the elements that made the show so successful in a competitive period when TV variety shows ruled the air waves. Putting the spotlight on everyone from her talented costars to her amazing guest stars--the most celebrated and popular entertainers of their day--Carol crafts a lively portrait of the talent and creativity that went into every episode. <P>Here are all the topics readers want to know more about, including: * how the show almost didn't air due to the misgivings of certain CBS vice presidents; * how she discovered and hired Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway; * anecdotes about guest stars and her close freindships with many of them, including Lucille Ball, Roddy Mcdowell, Jim Nabors, Bernadette Peters, Betty Grable, Steve Lawrence, Eydie Gorme, Gloria Swanson, Rita Hayworth, and Betty White; * the people behind the scenes from Bob Mackie, her costume designer and partner in crime, to the wickedly funny cameraman who became a fixture during the show's opening Q&A; * and Carol's takes on her favorite sketches and the unpredictable moments that took both the cast and viewers by surprise. <P>This book is Carol's love letter to a golden era in television history through the lens of her brilliant show which won no less than 25 Emmy Awards! Get the best seat in the house as she reminisces about the outrageous tales that made working on the show as much fun as watching it. <P><b>A New York Times Bestseller</b>
In Sunshine or in Shadow: How Boxing Brought Hope in the Troubles
by Donald McRae'One of the most captivating boxing writers on the planet' Barry McGuigan '[An] outstanding and important book, Don McRae's powerful storytelling shows the courage of the people of the North' Andy Lee Multi-award-winning author Donald McRae's stunning new book is a powerful tale of hope and redemption across the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland - thanks to boxing. At the height of the Troubles, Gerry Storey ran the Holy Family gym from the IRA's heartland territory of New Lodge in Belfast. Despite coming from a family steeped in the Republican movement, he insisted that it would be open to all. He ensured that his boxers were given a free pass by paramilitary forces on both Republican and Loyalist sides, so they could find a way out of the province's desperate situation. In the immediate aftermath of the 1981 Hunger Strikes, Storey would also visit the Maze prison twice a week to train the inmates from each community, separately. In itself, this would be a heroic story, but Storey went further than that: he became the trainer for world champion Barry McGuigan and Olympian Hugh Russell, who became one of the most famous photographers to document the Troubles. Even with all his success and the support of both sides, Storey still found himself subjected to three bomb attacks from those who were implacably hostile to any form of reconciliation. He also worked with the Protestant boxer Davy Larmour, who fought two bloody battles in the ring against Russell, his Catholic friend. At the same time, in Derry, the British and European lightweight champion Charlie Nash fought without bitterness after his brother was killed and his father was shot on Bloody Sunday – the most infamous day of the conflict. Now, Donald McRae reveals the extraordinary tale of those troubled times. After years of research and intimate interviews with the key characters in this story, he shows us how the violent business of boxing became a haven of peace and hope for these remarkable and compassionate men. In Sunshine or in Shadow is an inspirational story of triumph over adversity and celebrates the reconciliation that can take place when two fighters meet each other in the ring, rather than outside it.
In Tasmania
by Nicholas ShakespeareFrom the renowned British author of The Dancer Upstairs comes this &“meticulous, lyrical history&” of the remote island and his family&’s connection to it (Publishers Weekly). Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as &“one of the best English novelists of our time,&” Nicholas Shakespeare decided to move to Tasmania after falling in love with its exceptional beauty. Only later did he discover a cache of letters that revealed a deep and complicated family connection to the island. They were written by an ancestor as corrupt as he was colorful: Anthony Fenn Kemp (1773–1868), the so-called Father of Tasmania. Then Shakespeare discovered more unknown Tasmanian relations: A pair of spinsters who had never left their farm except once, in 1947, to buy shoes. Their journal recounted a saga beginning in Northern England in the 1890s with a dashing but profligate ancestor who ended his life in the Tasmanian bush. In this fascinating history of two turbulent centuries in an apparently idyllic place, Shakespeare weaves the history of the island with multiple narratives, a cast of unlikely characters from Errol Flynn to the King of Iceland, a village full of Chatwins, and a family of Shakespeares. &“Tasmania is an enigmatic place and Shakespeare captures it with an appreciative eye.&” —The Guardian
In Tearing Haste: Letters Between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor
by Deborah Devonshire Patrick Leigh FermorIn spring 1956, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire - youngest of the six legendary Mitford sisters - invited the writer and war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor to visit Lismore Castle, the Devonshires' house in Ireland. This halcyon visit sparked off a deep friendship and a lifelong exchange of sporadic but highly entertaining letters. There can rarely have been such contrasting styles: Debo, unashamed philistine and self-professed illiterate (though suspected by her friends of being a secret reader), darts from subject to subject while Paddy, polyglot, widely read prose virtuoso, replies in the fluent, polished manner that has earned him recognition as one of the finest writers in the English language. Prose notwithstanding, the two friends have much in common: a huge enjoyment of life, youthful high spirits, warmth, generosity and lack of malice. There are glimpses of President Kennedy's inauguration, weekends at Sandringham, stag hunting in France, filming with Errol Flynn in French Equatorial Africa and, above all, of life at Chatsworth, the great house that Debo spent much of her life restoring, and of Paddy in the house that he and his wife Joan designed and built on the southernmost peninsula of Greece.
In Tearing Haste: Letters between Deborah Devonshire and Patrick Leigh Fermor
by Charlotte Mosley Patrick Leigh Fermor Deborah DevonshireNow in paperback, Patrick Leigh Fermor and Deborah Devonshire's witty, informative, and altogether delightful correspondence. In the spring of 1956, Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, youngest of the six legendary Mitford sisters, invited the writer and war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor to visit Lismore Castle, the Devonshires’ house in Ireland. The halcyon visit sparked a deep friendship and a lifelong exchange of highly entertaining correspondence.
In That Time: Michael O'Donnell and the Tragic Era of Vietnam
by Daniel H. WeissThrough the story of the brief, brave life of a promising poet, the president and CEO of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art evokes the turmoil and tragedy of the Vietnam War era.In That Time tells the story of the American experience in Vietnam through the life of Michael O'Donnell, a bright young musician and poet who served as a soldier and helicopter pilot. O'Donnell wrote with great sensitivity and poetic force, and his best-known poem is among the most beloved of the war. In 1970, during an attempt to rescue fellow soldiers stranded under heavy fire, O'Donnell's helicopter was shot down in the jungles of Cambodia. He remained missing in action for almost three decades.Although he never fired a shot in Vietnam, O'Donnell served in one of the most dangerous roles of the war, all the while using poetry to express his inner feelings and to reflect on the tragedy that was unfolding around him. O'Donnell's life is both a powerful, personal story and a compelling, universal one about how America lost its way in the 1960s, but also how hope can flower in the margins of even the darkest chapters of the American story.
In The Arena: A Memoir of Victory, Defeat, and Renewal
by Richard Nixon"Eloquent of the man and . . . of the history he made." —The New York TimesIn the Arena is the most personal, profound, and revealing memoir ever written by a major political figure. It is Richard Nixon's frankest, most outspoken book—which includes the inside story of his resignation from the Presidency and its aftermath. President Nixon's previous books have brilliantly chronicled his public career and examined America's strategic role in the world. Now, for the first time, he shares his private thoughts and feelings on his long career, other great leaders at home and abroad, his own family, the state of the world, the arts of politics and diplomacy, and much more—expanding on his 1978 Memoirs and documenting his role as America's Elder Statesman. It's a personal statement by one of the most important and influential figures in American history.
In The Blink Of An Eye: An Inspiring And True Story Of Enduring Love
by Hasso Catherine Von BredowThe heartbreaking true story of a love that transcended tragedy.On 1 May 2000 Hasso von Bredow's life was forever changed. The young and active father of three suffered a massive stroke at the base of his brainstem, leaving him totally paralysed and unable to speak. With his mind as cognitive and as active as it had always been, his body became his painful prison.IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE is Hasso's moving and life-affirming memoir. At 42 Hasso had to come to terms with a life 'locked in', being dependent on others for every breath, but worst of all, losing his most precious of possessions: his voice.The only way Hasso could communicate with the world was by blinking his eyes. And using coded blinking and state of the art technology, he wrote this incredibly moving memoir letter by letter, helped only by his wife and carer, Catherine.
In The Clouds Above Baghdad, Being The Records Of An Air Commander [Illustrated Edition]
by Group Captain John Edward Tennant D.S.O. M.C."War in the air over the Middle EastMesopotamia, 'the land of the two rivers', is deemed the birthplace of civilisation. Now modern day Iraq, it has known warfare throughout the millennia that man has inhabited it. By the first years of the twentieth century the Ottoman Turkish Empire had claimed Mesopotamia as their own and its alliance with Germany during the Great War brought battle to it once more. For the first time conflict came to its skies in the form of the newly formed air forces of the opposing armies. This book concerns the experiences of an officer of the R. F. C fighting a war far different from his comrades on the Western Front but one which was just as deadly. This is an usual account of early war in the air from one of the great conflicts sideshow theatres."--Leonaur Print EditionAuthor -- Group Captain John Edward Tennant D.S.O. M.C. d. 1941Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in London, C. Palmer, 1920.Original Page Count - x and 289 pages.Illustrations -- 38 illustrations.
In The Company Of Men: A Woman At The Citadel
by Mary Jane Ross Nancy Mace"Leaning forward until I could feel his breath on the back of my neck he began to rack me in an insidious, threatening manner. 'We all hate you. When are you going to leave? We hate you, do you hear me?'...On and on the voice went, and for the first time since I had come to the school, I was afraid, afraid and disgusted."<P> When Nancy Mace entered The Citadel, the United States government had just recently overturned the ruling that women were not allowed to enter the "Core of Cadets." Having grown up in a military family, Nancy was not unfamiliar with the harsh realities of military life. Her father, a brigadier general, had graduated from The Citadel and her older sister was a military graduate, but it would be Nancy's journey alone. And as many a knob has found out, life inside the dazzling white ramparts of this famous fortress is far from pleasant. Upon entering those grand gates, Nancy Mace soon found out that she wasn't just fighting the tradition of the corps, but the culture and city that surrounded it. Steeped in tradition and lore, the grand bastion known as El Cid is considered one of the South's most infamous and controversial institutions. Built in 1842, it has turned out a unique brand of Southern man -- and now woman. This is the true first-person account of a young woman's battle to be a part of the long gray line.
In The Days Of Queen Elizabeth (yesterday's Classics)
by Eva March TappanStory of the life of Queen Elizabeth, the famous English sovereign who guided the ship of state with consummate skill through the troubled waters of the latter half of the sixteenth century. Includes stories of English voyages of exploration and the defeat of the Spanish armada. Suitable for ages 11 and up.
In The Footsteps of My Father: Recalling a Century-Old Trek to Alaska and the Yukon Territory
by Sheldon GebbLive life in the Alaska and the Yukon more than one hundred years ago through my father's diary, which details the hard work, frustrations and horseplay in the development of Guggenheim's mammoth gold dredge mining operation. Ponder his decision to quit a comfortable job as a mining engineer to venture 60 miles east of Dawson City with the King of the Klondike to endure, without fear, the coldest winter on record averaging minus 50 degrees. Question through his words the unsuccessful digging of a mine shaft through frozen ground ending with the comment, "April Fool's Day. We're down 160 feet in the shaft and no gold. April Fools proper-that is what we are. We are up against the fact we can remain no longer. We have no grub." Experience his comical adventures as a bear hunter finally giving up to seek employment at the Kennecott Copper Mine; electing to cross the largest ice fields in North America alone, guided by instinct, with only a woman's robe and a tarp for warmth.
In The Fullness Of Life: Life Of Dorothy Kazel
by Cynthia GlavacThis book is a moving and detailed record of Dorothy Kazel's life and death and offers an in-depth analysis of her character, spirituality and ministry.
In The Key Of Genius: The Extraordinary Life Of Derek Paravicini
by Adam OckelfordDerek Paravicini is blind, can't tell his right hand from his left and needs round-the-clock care. But he has an extremely rare gift - he is a musical prodigy with perfect pitch whose piano-playing has thrilled audiences at venues from Ronnie Scott's to Las Vegas, the Barbican to Buckingham Palace. <p><p> Born prematurely, Derek remained in hospital for three months and technically 'died' several times before he was finally strong enough to go home. It was not long before his blindness became apparent and later it became clear that he had severe learning difficulties and autism. <p> Desperately trying to find something to engage and stimulate baby Derek, his nanny discovered a toy organ and put it down in front of him. Miraculously, Derek taught himself to play. Music proved to be an outlet for expressing himself and communicating with others - his way of dealing with a strange and confusing world.
In The King’s German Legion: Memoirs Of Baron Ompteda, Colonel In The King’s German Legion During The Napoleonic Wars
by Freiherr von Ludwig Ompteda Freiherr von Christian OmptedaColonel Baron Christian Ompteda, 1765-1815, was one of the most distinguished Hanoverian officers of the Napoleonic period. He served in the Netherlands in 1793-5 and was orderly to the Duke of York, but he was wounded and suffered the first of his mental breakdowns. One of the early members of the King's German Legion, he commanded the 1st Line Battalion and was exchanged after being shipwrecked on the Dutch coast in 1807. He sailed for the Peninsula in 1808 but a further bout of mental instability led to his retirement. His friend Scharnhorst helped his recovery, Ompteda rejoined the Legion as commander of the 1st Light Battalion in 1812, serving through the remainder of the Peninsular War which included the Battle of Vittoria, the storm of Tolosa, the siege of San Sebastian, fighting on the Nive, and the siege of Bayonne, 1814.In the Hundred Days campaign, he commanded the 2nd K. G. L. Brigade, which included his own 5th Line Battalion. At Waterloo, ordered by the Prince of Orange and Alten to make a suicidal attack, he calmly drew his sword, asked a friend to try to save his nephews, and rode off at the head of his men. As he had realised, the order resulted in the near destruction of his battalion but he carried it out without hesitation and was last seen surrounded by French troops. Shot through the neck, his body was recovered and buried near the gate of La Haye Sainte.
In The Land I Did Not Choose
by Ana L. CuevasPrejudice and discrimination against people with mental and physical disabilities still exist. Ana L. Cuevas, a blind woman, knows this all too well. But she also knows compassion, love, and courage. This book is a testament to her determination to reach her dreams no matter the obstacles. As a young girl, Ana moved to the United States from Mexico against her will. Her parents picked this country, and though it has its faults, Ana is forever grateful. This land is where she received the proper education and tools to lead a full life. However, while researching pregnancy and disabilities, Ana realizes she is considered different in the eyes of others. Many "able-bodied" people assume blindness affects intelligence, speech, and other capabilities. Knowing this changes the way Ana looks at the world. This is a problem that must be addressed by the public and the government to alleviate prejudices and help people with disabilities achieve the same success as their peers. This poignant memoir will have you cheering, crying, and standing up for love and acceptance of all people in this world. It is a must-read for counselors, social workers, psychologists, and teachers.
In The Mind Of A Mountie
by T.M. 'Scotty' GardinerScotty Gardiner's epic memoir is one of the most insightful books about the R.C.M.P. in decades: 131 chapters of true adventures. A refreshing page-turner as Scotty leads from one crime investigation to the next, while offering shrewd insights into the nature and habits of career criminals and RCMP officers alike.
In The Pit With Piper: Roddy gets Rowdy
by Robert Picarello Rowdy Roddy PiperHere, in his own words, is the story of one of the greatest wrestlers ever-Rowdy Roddy Piper. The bagpipe-playing legend gets down and dirty about the world of professional wrestling-and his own career. He takes readers back to his life as a teenage runaway and his first match, when he stepped into the ring for $25. He recalls his triumph as the youngest World Light Heavyweight Champion, and how he helped make the World Wrestling Federation the phenomenon it is today with little more than a microphone stand and a bow tie. From a man who joined the game long before it emerged as big-time entertainment comes a story that tells it like it is-and that's filled with as much excitement as the jam-packed arenas where he fought his fiercest foes.
In The Place of Justice: A Story of Punishment and Deliverance
by Wilbert RideauFrom Wilbert Rideau, the award-winning journalist who spent forty-four years in Louisiana prisons working against unimaginable odds to redeem himself, the story of a remarkable life: a crime, its punishment, and ultimate triumph. After killing a woman in a moment of panic following a botched bank robbery, Rideau, denied a fair trial, was improperly sentenced to death at the age of nineteen. After more than a decade on death row, his sentence was amended to life imprisonment, and he joined the inmate population of the infamous Angola penitentiary. Soon Rideau became editor of the prison newsmagazineThe Angolite,which under his leadership became an uncensored, daring, and crusading journal instrumental in reforming the violent prison and the corrupt Louisiana justice system. With the same incisive feel for detail that brought Rideau great critical acclaim, here he brings to vivid life the world of the prison through the power of his pen. We see Angola's unique culture, encompassing not only rivalries, sexual slavery, ingrained racism, and daily, soul-killing injustices but also acts of courage and decency by keeper and kept alike. As we relive Rideau's remarkable rehabilitation--he lived a more productive life in prison than do most outside--we also witness his long struggle for justice. In the Place of Justicegoes far beyond the confines of a prison memoir, giving us a searing exposé of the failures of our legal system framed within the dramatic tale of a man who found meaning, purpose, and hope in prison. This is a deeply moving, eloquent, and inspirational story about perseverance, unexpected friendships and love, and the possibility that good can be forged under any circumstances. From the Hardcover edition.
In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran
by John TaylorWith Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest songs of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single 'Planet Earth' right up to their latest number one album All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet.It's been a ride - and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling... and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story - a tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered. A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn't an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the spring of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit. In his frank, compelling autobiography, John recounts the highs - hanging out with icons like Bowie, Warhol and even James Bond; dating Vogue models and driving fast cars - all the while playing hard with the band he loved. But he faced tough battles ahead - troubles that brought him to the brink of self-destruction - before turning his life around.Told with humour, honesty and hard-won wisdom, and packed with exclusive pictures, In the Pleasure Groove is a fascinating, irresistible portrait of a man who danced into the fire... and came through the other side.
In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran
by John TaylorWith Duran Duran, John Taylor has created some of the greatest songs of our time. From the disco dazzle of debut single 'Planet Earth' right up to their latest number one album All You Need is Now, Duran Duran has always had the power to sweep the world onto its feet.It's been a ride - and for John in particular, the ride has been wild, thrilling... and dangerous. Now, for the first time, he tells his incredible story - a tale of dreams fulfilled, lessons learned and demons conquered. A shy only child, Nigel John Taylor wasn't an obvious candidate for pop stardom and frenzied girl panic. But when he ditched his first name and picked up a bass guitar, everything changed. John formed Duran Duran with his friend Nick Rhodes in the spring of 1978, and they were soon joined by Roger Taylor, then Andy Taylor and finally Simon Le Bon. Together they were an immediate, massive global success story, their pictures on millions of walls, every single a worldwide hit. In his frank, compelling autobiography, John recounts the highs - hanging out with icons like Bowie, Warhol and even James Bond; dating Vogue models and driving fast cars - all the while playing hard with the band he loved. But he faced tough battles ahead - troubles that brought him to the brink of self-destruction - before turning his life around.Told with humour, honesty and hard-won wisdom, and packed with exclusive pictures, In the Pleasure Groove is a fascinating, irresistible portrait of a man who danced into the fire... and came through the other side.
In The Presence of My Enemies
by Dean Merrill Gracia BurnhamCan faith, hope, and love survive A YEAR OF TERROR? FOR AMERICAN MISSIONARIES Martin and Gracia Burnham, what started out as a relaxing, once-m-a-lifetime anniversary getaway at an exotic island resort turned into one of the most horrific nightmares imaginable Kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group with ties to Osama bin Laden, the Burnhams were snatched away from friends and family and thrust into a life on the run in the Philippine jungle During a perilous year in captivity, they faced near starvation, constant exhaustion, frequent gun battles, coldhearted murder-and intense soul searching about a God who sometimes seemed to have forgotten them In this gripping firsthand account of faith, love, and struggle in th'e face of unnervingly casual brutality, you'll go behind the scenes of a real life drama, told in gritty detail by the least likely survivor Whatever the struggles of your life, you'll find encouragement and hope in this refreshingly honest story of a yearlong battle with the darkness that inhabits the human heart "The Burnhams, under torturous conditions, befriended their guards, comforted their fellow hostages and kept their faith in a God who seemed to have abandoned them." -USA TODAY ISBN 0-8423-6239-8 Inspiration/Biography US $7 99 Illlllllllllllllllllllllllllll 06239 0 " 113 1809H00799'"10
In The Royal Naval Air Service: Being The War Letters Of The Late Harold Rosher To His Family
by Lieutenant Harold Rosher R.N."A war in the skies above the wavesAs early as 1908 the Royal Navy understood the potential for the use of aircraft in naval warfare. By 1914 the Royal Naval Air Service consisted of 93 aircraft, 6 airships, 2 balloons and 727 personnel. By 1918 when the RNAS was combined with the RAF it had nearly 3,000 aircraft and more than 55,000 personnel. Aircraft working in concert with the Royal Navy and against enemy shipping and coastal installations had come to stay. This interesting book looks at the RNAS from a much more personal perspective-that of one young navy pilot, Harold Rosher. The book tells the story of Rosher's war, based around Dover and engaged in patrolling over and across the English Channel and attacking enemy held coastal defences such as Zeebrugge, principally through letters to his family and provides vital insights into the First World War in the air as experienced by an early naval pilot."-Leonaur Print Version.Author -- Lieutenant Harold Rosher R.N., 1893-1916.Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York: Macmillan, 1916.Original Page Count - 149 pages.
In The Shadow of the Mountain
by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado*****'Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I'm in awe of her strength and courage.' - Selena Gomez'powerful' - New York TimesIn 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 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.