In the Shadow of the Mountain: A Memoir of Courage
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- Create Date：2022-02-14 06:19:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
- ISBN：B092T9SNLP
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Summary
Endless ice。 Thin air。 The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below。 This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her page-turning， pulse-raising memoir following her journey to Mount Everest。
A Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley， privately， she was hanging by a thread。 Deep in the throes of alcoholism， hiding her sexuality from her family， and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child， she started climbing。 Something about the brute force required for the ascent― the risk and spirit and sheer size of the mountains and death’s close proximity―woke her up。 She then took her biggest pain as a survivor to the biggest mountain: Everest。
“The Mother of the World，” as it’s known in Nepal， allows few to reach her summit， but Silvia didn’t go alone。 She gathered a group of young female survivors and led them to base camp alongside her。 It was never easy。 At times hair-raising， nerve-racking， and always challenging， Silvia remembers the acute anxiety of leading a group of novice climbers to Everest’s base， all the while coping with her own nerves of summiting。 But， there were also moments of peace， joy， and healing with the strength of her fellow survivors and community propelling her forward。
In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of heroism， one which awakens in all of us a lust for adventure， an appetite for risk， and faith in our own resilience。
A Latina hero in the elite macho tech world of Silicon Valley， privately， she was hanging by a thread。 Deep in the throes of alcoholism， hiding her sexuality from her family， and repressing the abuse she’d suffered as a child， she started climbing。 Something about the brute force required for the ascent― the risk and spirit and sheer size of the mountains and death’s close proximity―woke her up。 She then took her biggest pain as a survivor to the biggest mountain: Everest。
“The Mother of the World，” as it’s known in Nepal， allows few to reach her summit， but Silvia didn’t go alone。 She gathered a group of young female survivors and led them to base camp alongside her。 It was never easy。 At times hair-raising， nerve-racking， and always challenging， Silvia remembers the acute anxiety of leading a group of novice climbers to Everest’s base， all the while coping with her own nerves of summiting。 But， there were also moments of peace， joy， and healing with the strength of her fellow survivors and community propelling her forward。
In the Shadow of the Mountain is a remarkable story of heroism， one which awakens in all of us a lust for adventure， an appetite for risk， and faith in our own resilience。
Reviews
Kerrie Cougle
，
Normally I have a problem with books written in this style （Alternating stories with one being the story of her climbing Everest， and the other the story of her growing up。） Usually I find one story more compelling than the other， and just skim through the other one to get to the "good" part。 Both stories were as interesting， compelling， and well-written as the other。 This was a hard book to put down。 Normally I have a problem with books written in this style （Alternating stories with one being the story of her climbing Everest， and the other the story of her growing up。） Usually I find one story more compelling than the other， and just skim through the other one to get to the "good" part。 Both stories were as interesting， compelling， and well-written as the other。 This was a hard book to put down。 。。。more
Steph
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I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of this from Henry Holt and the audio from Libro。fm and split time between them。 This is definitely an emotional read and written with such raw openness and honesty while diving into some very difficult subjects。 It alternates chapters between Sylvia’s past and her time climbing Mt。 Everest。 It’s a story of healing， strength and hope， as heartbreaking as it is inspirational。 I’ve included trigger warnings in the comments， but highly encourage you to I was lucky enough to receive a physical copy of this from Henry Holt and the audio from Libro。fm and split time between them。 This is definitely an emotional read and written with such raw openness and honesty while diving into some very difficult subjects。 It alternates chapters between Sylvia’s past and her time climbing Mt。 Everest。 It’s a story of healing， strength and hope， as heartbreaking as it is inspirational。 I’ve included trigger warnings in the comments， but highly encourage you to pick this one up when you are looking for a powerful memoir。 This is being developed into a film starring Selena Gomez and I can’t wait to see it！ 。。。more
Daniel Scharff
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Silvia’s story is raw and truly inspirational。 It’s mind blowing to consider everything she has overcome and accomplished， and after everything， she’s dedicated herself to helping others while constantly testing her own limits。 The book and author are both world class。
BookBlanketFort
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Just flew through this memoir by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado about climbing mountains to cope with the trauma of sexual abuse and alcohol addiction。 Raw and fast-paced， I could not put this book down。*I seek outdoor adventure stories， but few center POC and women。 In the book， Vasquez-Lavado intersperses stories about climbing Everest with her childhood in Peru。 The book goes into graphic detail about Vazquez-Lavado’s childhood sexual abuse by a family friend and physical abuse by her father。 She leav Just flew through this memoir by Silvia Vasquez-Lavado about climbing mountains to cope with the trauma of sexual abuse and alcohol addiction。 Raw and fast-paced， I could not put this book down。*I seek outdoor adventure stories， but few center POC and women。 In the book， Vasquez-Lavado intersperses stories about climbing Everest with her childhood in Peru。 The book goes into graphic detail about Vazquez-Lavado’s childhood sexual abuse by a family friend and physical abuse by her father。 She leaves her native Peru for the United States to escape this life。 She describes her career rising through the Silicon Valley as a functioning alcoholic。 *In addition to the emotional aspects of this book， I enjoyed learning about life in Peru and the technical aspects of mountaineering。 *Thanks to @netgalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Zoe
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Honest， affecting， and incredibly inspiring！In the Shadow of the Mountain is a candid， memorable memoir that takes you into the life of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado， from her childhood in Peru where she was sexually abused by a family friend， her post-secondary education as an immigrant and lesbian in the green hills of Pennsylvania， an incredibly successful career in silicon valley， to her love of climbing that not only gave her an extreme physical challenge but an outlet to emotionally heal herself a Honest， affecting， and incredibly inspiring！In the Shadow of the Mountain is a candid， memorable memoir that takes you into the life of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado， from her childhood in Peru where she was sexually abused by a family friend， her post-secondary education as an immigrant and lesbian in the green hills of Pennsylvania， an incredibly successful career in silicon valley， to her love of climbing that not only gave her an extreme physical challenge but an outlet to emotionally heal herself and touch the lives of other exploited souls。The prose is heartfelt and genuine。 And the novel is a forthright， sincere tale of one woman’s personal experience with abuse， loss， love， support， friendship， family， addiction， heartbreak， shame， determination， and ultimately the grit and strength needed to scale the Seven Summits of the world。Overall， In the Shadow of the Mountain is a moving， impactful， lovely tale by Vasquez-Lavado that delves into all the physical， psychological， and emotional effects of being a victim， survivor， addict， lover， extreme adventurer， and mentor。 It is truly a beautiful tale that， at its core， is empowering and an important reminder that we have within us all the power to conquer anything。Thank you to Henry Holt and Company for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Tomes And Textiles
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So inspirational， thrilling and heartbreaking。 This memoir was all love。 RTC
Cookie
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In this memoir， Silvia Vasquez-Lavado weaves in her life stories with her experience in climbing Mount Everest。 Vasquez-Lavado is known as one of the few women who have climbed to the summit of Mount Everest。 She is also known as an advocate for victims of sexual abuse and an LGBTQ rights advocate。 She weaves in stories of her childhood in Peru， her immigration to America for college， and of her early adult years with her account of climbing Mount Everest。I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this b In this memoir， Silvia Vasquez-Lavado weaves in her life stories with her experience in climbing Mount Everest。 Vasquez-Lavado is known as one of the few women who have climbed to the summit of Mount Everest。 She is also known as an advocate for victims of sexual abuse and an LGBTQ rights advocate。 She weaves in stories of her childhood in Peru， her immigration to America for college， and of her early adult years with her account of climbing Mount Everest。I wasn't sure if I wanted to read this book because I thought it would be like Wild by Cheryl Strayed。 Although I liked that book， I didn't love it。 @bookrecsbymel spoke highly of this book so I decided to dive in。 I am in awe of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado！ She is a survivor of child molestation and rape。 She has also had tremendous loss in her life。 She has struggled with alcoholism and her queerness has caused rifts between her and her family。 She has had many reasons to succumb to the depression and trauma that have accumulated as result of her experiences， but she has triumphed in spite of it all。 I love that she is a beacon of strength to others who have had traumatic experiences。 I am highly impressed by Vasquez-Lavado's writing in this autobiographical book。 She has a background in business but you wouldn't guess it based on her adept writing skills。 This book is beautifully written with rich and detailed prose。 As intense and heartbreaking as her stories are， she delivers them with positivity and humor that had me chuckling out loud。 Although her personal life stories were what captured my attention the most in this book， I enjoyed the parts about her climb more than I thought I would。 I was worried that those parts would be bogged down with details and technical information about climbing that wouldn't interest me， but she kept the story moving and provided just enough detail to give you an idea of what the experience was like。 My favorite part of those chapters were her connections with other climbers and her emotional mindset and internal dialogue through those several weeks。 This book includes insights into Peruvian culture， Himalayan culture， and mountain climber culture。 It's an amazing story of a woman who perseveres despite the constant destruction of the men on her life。 I listened to the audiobook， which is narrated by the Vasquez-Lavado herself， and I highly recommend it！ Hearing an autobiographical book read by the writer and the person who experienced those events themselves is a special experience。⚠️: child molestation & rape， domestic violence， child abuse， mention of murder， human trafficking， rape， kidnapping， assault， driving under the influence， alcoholism， suicide， death of a loved one， cancer， misogyny， sexual harassment。 I received a complimentary audiobook from the publisher via libro。fm。 。。。more
Melissa
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A breathtaking memoir。 Listening to Silvia’s story moved something in me。 Her pain， trauma， and resilience shaped this memoir and some parts were so painful to read。 By the time I finished this I had goosebumps。 Silvia tells her story of climbing Everest by going back and forth and telling us about her life growing up in Peru and all the things life brought her way。 As someone who is also Peruvian there was certain streets， lingo， and foods that I had forgotten that brought me back to my roots a A breathtaking memoir。 Listening to Silvia’s story moved something in me。 Her pain， trauma， and resilience shaped this memoir and some parts were so painful to read。 By the time I finished this I had goosebumps。 Silvia tells her story of climbing Everest by going back and forth and telling us about her life growing up in Peru and all the things life brought her way。 As someone who is also Peruvian there was certain streets， lingo， and foods that I had forgotten that brought me back to my roots and I loved that。 Please tread carefully when reading this book。 It’s a hard read but so worth it。 Silvias story is one that you must read。 TW: rape， child abuse， child rape， alcoholism， suicide。 。。。more
Carmensutra
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Incredibly inspirational memoir！ Silvia did THAT and being right at her side along her climb was just fascinating， but the true heart of this book was how Silvia connected her childhood sexual abuse by a trusted family friend to her life and climb。 This book was just so beautiful。 I underlined so many incredible passages。
Lisa Kristine
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In this inspiring memoir， In the Shadow of the Mountain， Silvia brings us on a raw and heartfelt journey of trial and overcoming。 Silvia's courageous story is one of adventure and heroism with great vulnerability， empathy， and humor。 It is a must-read that promises to leave a reader in awe at what is possible in a life well-lived。 In this inspiring memoir， In the Shadow of the Mountain， Silvia brings us on a raw and heartfelt journey of trial and overcoming。 Silvia's courageous story is one of adventure and heroism with great vulnerability， empathy， and humor。 It is a must-read that promises to leave a reader in awe at what is possible in a life well-lived。 。。。more
sbtbkb
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Wow reading this book was a visceral experience。 The author went through so much in her life and to be able to recount all the highs and lows with such clarity and insight is remarkable。 Weaving back and forth between past and present was well done。 Usually I'd be more interested in hearing about her seven summits but her life experiences were so gripping to read about that I found myself caring more for the person than for the adventure Wow reading this book was a visceral experience。 The author went through so much in her life and to be able to recount all the highs and lows with such clarity and insight is remarkable。 Weaving back and forth between past and present was well done。 Usually I'd be more interested in hearing about her seven summits but her life experiences were so gripping to read about that I found myself caring more for the person than for the adventure 。。。more
Anne
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“Some people are drawn up the mountain for glory; others are pushed up by pain。”I’m a Mt Everest junkie！ I don’t wish to climb it but please give me all the books， movies， tales， and news reports。 Over the years I’ve read so many accounts of ascents， watched movies， listened to speakers and I’m always ready for more。 One thing that makes this account special is that the climber we follow is a woman。 A woman leading women to base camp before she continues on toward the summit。 The women have tran “Some people are drawn up the mountain for glory; others are pushed up by pain。”I’m a Mt Everest junkie！ I don’t wish to climb it but please give me all the books， movies， tales， and news reports。 Over the years I’ve read so many accounts of ascents， watched movies， listened to speakers and I’m always ready for more。 One thing that makes this account special is that the climber we follow is a woman。 A woman leading women to base camp before she continues on toward the summit。 The women have transitioned from living on the streets， have escaped from trafficking， or have grown up in the poorest homes in the shadow of the mountain。 Raised in Peru in an unsafe home， young Sylvia started climbing to escape her emotional demons: childhood sexual abuse， questioning her sexuality， and alcohol abuse。 Overshadowing most of her life was a fear of screwing up。 In a search for emotional catharsis， a purging of past traumas， and a hope for a future less tainted by her past Sylvia will attempt to summit Everest。 “Fear flared through my body， hot and uncontrollable。 Panic is deadly at altitude。 I know this。 It steals your oxygen， poisons your limbs。 I’ve trained for moments just like this。 But this knowledge can’t override the adrenaline shuttling through my veins…For the first time it clicks; I understand that not only has death always been on the table， but maybe that’s why I’m here。”This is way more than a book about the mountain。 It is a memoir crammed with the pain of Sylvia’s youth and all of the life that preceded her attempt on the mountain。 It is horrible and brave and graphic。 It is about acknowledging the past and healing one broken bit at a time。 It is a remarkable life story in the vein of Educated or Glass Castles; I liked this one more。 。。。more
Angela
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Thank you to Henry Holt Books for the copy of "In the Shadow of the Mountain。"I see this memoir as a historical/geographical/sociological reference on*Peru in the 1970s（？） and 1980s*The beginnings of gay pride movement in San Francisco and the dot com/tech era in Silicon Valley* The intersectionality of queer and Latina identities* The mountain climbing community* Nepali/Tibetan culture & religionI kept looking for a short glossary in the back - there were so many new terms and concepts in the b Thank you to Henry Holt Books for the copy of "In the Shadow of the Mountain。"I see this memoir as a historical/geographical/sociological reference on*Peru in the 1970s（？） and 1980s*The beginnings of gay pride movement in San Francisco and the dot com/tech era in Silicon Valley* The intersectionality of queer and Latina identities* The mountain climbing community* Nepali/Tibetan culture & religionI kept looking for a short glossary in the back - there were so many new terms and concepts in the book， I couldn't keep them all straight。The book started out slow （for me）， but once I got used to the alternating chapters， I was captivated by the story。 Vasquez-Lavado's resilience， compassion， and strength shone through the pages。 I wished I had been highlighting as I went along; Vasquez-Lavado included really powerful statements about healing， growth， and community that resounded with me。 。。。more
Adriana
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The author reveals herself in a kind of vulnerability that is touching， inspiring and simply amazing。 Her resilience shines through the different challenges in her life。 This is a must read page turner！
Summer Reads
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The majority of my reads are fiction but occasionally I need an inspiring nonfiction read。 When I started reading In The Shadow of the Mountain I had no idea the epic adventure that I was in for。The Shadow of A Mountain is a nonfiction memoir by Sylvia Vasquez-Lavado。 Sylvia was working in the male-dominated Silicon Valley when her mother called her home to Peru。 At the time Sylvia was hanging by a thread and struggling with alcoholism， hiding her sexuality and repressing the horrific abuse that The majority of my reads are fiction but occasionally I need an inspiring nonfiction read。 When I started reading In The Shadow of the Mountain I had no idea the epic adventure that I was in for。The Shadow of A Mountain is a nonfiction memoir by Sylvia Vasquez-Lavado。 Sylvia was working in the male-dominated Silicon Valley when her mother called her home to Peru。 At the time Sylvia was hanging by a thread and struggling with alcoholism， hiding her sexuality and repressing the horrific abuse that she suffered from as a child。 Sylvia’s trip home changed her life forever when she started climbing。 Something about the high altitude and the risk woke something in her。 Sylvia gathered a group of young female sexual assault survivors and together they decided to tackle the biggest mountain in the world， Mt。 Everest。 Get ready for an emotional， awe-inspiring， tale of heroism and adventure！ Not only is this is a story of a grand expedition but it's also a story of healing after a lifetime of pain。 I immediately connected with Sylvia’s story and thoroughly enjoyed reading every single page of In The Shadow of the Mountain。 While writing this book， Sylvia shared the most intimate parts of herself with raw honesty。 Not only did I find Sylvia’s strength to be inspiring but I also found her compassion and selflessness for others awe-inspiring。In The Shadow of the Mountain would be a wonderful selection for book clubs and would make an excellent gift。 I feel like this book is a must-read for many， not just women but men as well。 I highly recommend this book and I feel like it will inspire so many readers。 A massive thanks to Henry Holt Books for a gifted copy of this amazing book！ 。。。more
Mary
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A memory of healing through an inspiring story of scaling a mountain to a discovery of self-worth and forgiveness while helping others do the same。 A story told very skillfully of matching her past stories of trauma with the current story of climbing Everest and finding her peace。 One of the best memories I've read in some time。 A memory of healing through an inspiring story of scaling a mountain to a discovery of self-worth and forgiveness while helping others do the same。 A story told very skillfully of matching her past stories of trauma with the current story of climbing Everest and finding her peace。 One of the best memories I've read in some time。 。。。more
Marcela Luna
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I plan on reading it。 Curious to see what “faith in our resilience” means and if there’s an acknowledgement of Gods power and faith in the resilience He gives us。
Andre Stone
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Overall pretty good， but there's a huge information gap。 One minute， the author is living the urban life she's known her whole life， but then all of a sudden she's going on international climbing expeditions。 There's absolutely no discussion whatsoever of how she made such a drastic life change。 That's the book's biggest shortcoming， but otherwise it's an engaging story。 Overall pretty good， but there's a huge information gap。 One minute， the author is living the urban life she's known her whole life， but then all of a sudden she's going on international climbing expeditions。 There's absolutely no discussion whatsoever of how she made such a drastic life change。 That's the book's biggest shortcoming， but otherwise it's an engaging story。 。。。more
Jenessa
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This book is a fascinating combination of memoir or the live of Silvia， and a book about mountaineering and Everest。 The writing is wonderful， and the ups and downs that Silvia's life takes are hopeful and heartbreaking。 She dedicated her live to helping other survivors of trauma and abuse to live out their dreams of going to Tibet and hiking to basecamp of Everest。 Overall， a super interesting memoir， and I loved the inside view of attempting to climb Everest。 This book is a fascinating combination of memoir or the live of Silvia， and a book about mountaineering and Everest。 The writing is wonderful， and the ups and downs that Silvia's life takes are hopeful and heartbreaking。 She dedicated her live to helping other survivors of trauma and abuse to live out their dreams of going to Tibet and hiking to basecamp of Everest。 Overall， a super interesting memoir， and I loved the inside view of attempting to climb Everest。 。。。more
Roxanne
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This is such a great book。 The author had suffered sexual abuse， and alcoholism， and she wanted not to remember these things so she started mountain climbing which is pretty bad ass for a woman to start with。 She took other survivors to climb Mount Everest and she took her life back which is a great victory。 This book is very empowering for women who can be marginalized in the male dominated world。
Barbara
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In the Shadow of the Mountain is the story of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado's journey to the top of the world。 The chapters alternate between vivid descriptions of her Everest climb and often tramatic snapshots of her earlier life， including childhood sexual abuse。 The memoir is well written and paced。 The technical climbing language is explained in a way that it should be undestandable to a nonclimber。 Although painful topics are addressed， In the Shadow of the Mountain is an inspiring story of courage In the Shadow of the Mountain is the story of Silvia Vasquez-Lavado's journey to the top of the world。 The chapters alternate between vivid descriptions of her Everest climb and often tramatic snapshots of her earlier life， including childhood sexual abuse。 The memoir is well written and paced。 The technical climbing language is explained in a way that it should be undestandable to a nonclimber。 Although painful topics are addressed， In the Shadow of the Mountain is an inspiring story of courage and strength。I received a free review copy of In the Shadow of the Mountain through Goodreads Giveaways。 。。。more
Megan
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Beautifully written， difficult but important life story。 I love how it started off switching chapters between such drastically different storylines that came together throughout the book to a singular endpoint。 Silvia’s story is so important to tell; so many people will find themselves somewhere in it， and also the inspiration to go find their own mountains。 Thank you for sharing this with the world。
Jill Melrose
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Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a badass！！ I loved this book。 It’s real and raw and yet is full of compassion and hope。 This is a book about trauma and redefining yourself after trauma and it’s chaos in your life。 There are parts that may be triggering to some， but the courage and hope and insights in the book are worth it if you can handle it。 I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway。
GG
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I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway。 I enjoy reading memoirs and find them very inspiring。 I apologize to the author of this book。 I know she was sharing her deepest pain， but I just。 Couldn’t。 Keep。 Reading。 Climbing Everest at the start had me on edge， as falling from a great height is one of my deep fears。 When Silvia’s childhood story was unfolding， I had to stop reading。 A courageous author trying to be read by a not so courageous reader。
Laura Valenziano
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This book grabs you from the start and you don't want to put it down！！！ Silva decides to start climbing mountains and finds unexpected psychological benefits。 She makes friends with other women who have abuse traumas and they resolve to climb Everest。 It's a delightful read！ This book grabs you from the start and you don't want to put it down！！！ Silva decides to start climbing mountains and finds unexpected psychological benefits。 She makes friends with other women who have abuse traumas and they resolve to climb Everest。 It's a delightful read！ 。。。more
Katie Robinson
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Wow！ I finished this book minutes ago and had to write something down while all the feelings are fresh， tears running down my face。"In the Shadow of the Mountain"， Sylvia Vasquez-Lavado shares her story of her summiting Mt。 Everest。 Seems simple and maybe like an adventure novel。 But， it was so much more than that。 She is not alone。 She has brought a group of young women with her that are survivors of sexual assault on the trip to Base Camp （a 10-day trek）。 She also courageously shares her histo Wow！ I finished this book minutes ago and had to write something down while all the feelings are fresh， tears running down my face。"In the Shadow of the Mountain"， Sylvia Vasquez-Lavado shares her story of her summiting Mt。 Everest。 Seems simple and maybe like an adventure novel。 But， it was so much more than that。 She is not alone。 She has brought a group of young women with her that are survivors of sexual assault on the trip to Base Camp （a 10-day trek）。 She also courageously shares her history of being molested as a young girl， her and struggle with alcoholism。 The chapters alternate between her story growing up and then her trek up Mt。 Everest which was a nice way too alternate the emotions and the adventure。 Sylvia tells her story so intimately and honestly， it almost felt like you were staring at her open flesh。 Her history and journey has a brought her to the decision to climb Everest but， it also gives her the tools to do what few have done。 This book is powerful， honest and inspiring！ Loved it！ 。。。more
Sandra Sembar
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Very inspirational by the author to overcome so much in her life and have the courage to do this journey。 This book was well written by her， and to tell her story。
Candace
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A truly honest yet inspiring book。 Haven’t finished yet， but I will edit this review once I have。 Half way through however， I feel as if I am truly in the protagonists shoes and apart of her journey to overcome her past and climb Mother （except for the fact I have more hope for her than she does for herself）。
Elise
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If you read and enjoyed Eat Pray Love you would enjoy reading In the Shadow of the Mountain。 Solid ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ highly recommend！
Melenia
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