Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
An awe-inspiring and courageous tale of sisterhood and looking inward while adventuring outward. The author is an incredibly impressive woman who overcame a great deal, and used her own trauma to bring other survivors together to accomplish things they never could have imagined before. The author's reverence for climbing Chomolungma shows throughout, proving that even with the commercialization of high-altitude mountaineering, that Everest is not simply another peak to conquer, but a journey in learning about yourself and others. Silvia Vasquez-Lavado was not only the first woman from Peru to climb Everest, but also created a Non-profit whose legacy continues to inspire. Would definitely recommend!
This is one of the first memoirs I have read—I usually read fiction. The first chapter was so gripping that I had to keep reading. The book should definitely have a trigger warning for survivors of sexual assault. It is quite descriptive. There are moments in the book when I was a bit exasperated by the author’s self-sabotage and self-destruction. The elements related to mountaineering were fascinating. Perhaps a tad longer then necessary.
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
I loved the structure of this memoir, going between chronicling the author's life pre mountaineering and chronicling her Mount Everest journey. Although I don't think I quite got over starting the memoir with the scariest part of her summit that we didn't get back to until the end of the memoir. This was quite long for a memoir but I never really questioned the inclusion of any of the stories told. My favorite part was when Silvia first moved to the US for college, absolutely hilarious. I was also a city kid who went to college in Amish country PA, spent time in Lancaster, took the Amtrak home via Philly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault
Moderate: Trafficking
Minor: Cancer, Suicide
“I’ve been asking myself if I’m strong enough to keep up, to make it to the top, but maybe that’s the wrong question. Maybe I should be asking if I’m soft enough to listen. To yield. To trust something deep inside, something in my bloodline, my heritage, that undercuts logic and strength. I still can’t visualize myself at the summit. But maybe that’s not a bad thing.”
I happened to finish this book at a pivotal moment in the fight for women’s rights, and I think Silvia’s story was what I needed to cope with the sweeping changes affecting women in the U.S., for her story is a reminder of our strength, resilience, and courage. As women now embark on a monumental fight, Silvia’s memoir is an excellent example of just what we are capable of.
Silvia comes from humble beginnings in Peru, with a typical machista father and submissive mother. She suffers through years of abuse by a trusted family friend in silence, convinced that her father was aware of what occurred. Her traumatic past would propel her to escape Peru to attend college in the U.S. Although she crosses borders, Silvia carries her trauma with her. In addition to processing the abuse inflicted upon her, she grapples with her sexuality, which is a struggle due to her traditional Catholic upbringing.
Eventually Silvia lands in San Francisco at the beginning of the dot-com boom and secures a job at an up-and-coming liquor company. This would begin Silvia’s struggle with alcohol abuse, fueled by the expectations of her job to party and promote their product. With her move to San Francisco, Silvia feels more at ease exploring her sexuality. However, her abuse of alcohol would bleed over into her relationships, where she was seeking out sexual conquests.
As with any addiction, there comes a moment where it becomes clear things cannot go on as usual. Eventually, Silvia recognizes the need to address her problem, reaching out to her mother, who convinces her to return to Peru to heal. In a traditional healing ceremony, induced by psychedelic herbs, Silvia has a vision of the mountains and her childhood self, which begins her new journey to summit the highest peaks.
On her first attempt to summit Mount Everest, Silvia gathers survivors of trauma and human trafficking to accompany her to base camp. The accomplishment of climbing one of the world’s most strenuous and dangerous peaks is intended to be a transcendental experience of healing for the young women who suffered horrific treatment and abuse. To climb the mountain is not just a physical effort, but a spiritual and emotional one.
“An experience doesn’t have to be the biggest or the best for it to change you. In a way, it had never mattered how high the peak was. They were here to traverse a mountain, but something more abstract. The terrain of the interior.”
Told in chapters alternating between the climb of Everest and her childhood in Peru and young adulthood in the U.S., I found Silvia’s story to be told in such a vulnerable and poetic way. With clarity and insight, she recounts her past and how it shaped her present self. She’s honest and raw. She’s brave. Her journey is among the countless others of survivors. Their strength and courage is a reminder of what we all possess as women: divine power. We need this reminder now more than ever.
P.S. Content warning: This book does contain recounts of abuse, suicide, and human trafficking.
I happened to finish this book at a pivotal moment in the fight for women’s rights, and I think Silvia’s story was what I needed to cope with the sweeping changes affecting women in the U.S., for her story is a reminder of our strength, resilience, and courage. As women now embark on a monumental fight, Silvia’s memoir is an excellent example of just what we are capable of.
Silvia comes from humble beginnings in Peru, with a typical machista father and submissive mother. She suffers through years of abuse by a trusted family friend in silence, convinced that her father was aware of what occurred. Her traumatic past would propel her to escape Peru to attend college in the U.S. Although she crosses borders, Silvia carries her trauma with her. In addition to processing the abuse inflicted upon her, she grapples with her sexuality, which is a struggle due to her traditional Catholic upbringing.
Eventually Silvia lands in San Francisco at the beginning of the dot-com boom and secures a job at an up-and-coming liquor company. This would begin Silvia’s struggle with alcohol abuse, fueled by the expectations of her job to party and promote their product. With her move to San Francisco, Silvia feels more at ease exploring her sexuality. However, her abuse of alcohol would bleed over into her relationships, where she was seeking out sexual conquests.
As with any addiction, there comes a moment where it becomes clear things cannot go on as usual. Eventually, Silvia recognizes the need to address her problem, reaching out to her mother, who convinces her to return to Peru to heal. In a traditional healing ceremony, induced by psychedelic herbs, Silvia has a vision of the mountains and her childhood self, which begins her new journey to summit the highest peaks.
On her first attempt to summit Mount Everest, Silvia gathers survivors of trauma and human trafficking to accompany her to base camp. The accomplishment of climbing one of the world’s most strenuous and dangerous peaks is intended to be a transcendental experience of healing for the young women who suffered horrific treatment and abuse. To climb the mountain is not just a physical effort, but a spiritual and emotional one.
“An experience doesn’t have to be the biggest or the best for it to change you. In a way, it had never mattered how high the peak was. They were here to traverse a mountain, but something more abstract. The terrain of the interior.”
Told in chapters alternating between the climb of Everest and her childhood in Peru and young adulthood in the U.S., I found Silvia’s story to be told in such a vulnerable and poetic way. With clarity and insight, she recounts her past and how it shaped her present self. She’s honest and raw. She’s brave. Her journey is among the countless others of survivors. Their strength and courage is a reminder of what we all possess as women: divine power. We need this reminder now more than ever.
P.S. Content warning: This book does contain recounts of abuse, suicide, and human trafficking.
Leest vlot weg, zat echt wel in het verhaal aka Silvia haar leven. 3,5 sterren!
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death of parent
Emotional and inspiring without being maudlin, the writing is clear and evocative and the audio narration is really special. 4.5 stars.