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In the Shadow of the Mountain  By  cover art

In the Shadow of the Mountain

By: Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
Narrated by: Silvia Vasquez-Lavado
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Publisher's summary

“In climbing the Seven Summits, Silvia Vasquez-Lavado did nothing less than take back her own life—one brave step at a time. She will inspire untold numbers of souls with this story, for her victory is a win on behalf of all of us.”—Elizabeth Gilbert

This audiobook is read by the author.

"Through her narration, Vasquez-Lavado, whose first language is Spanish, conveys a lifetime of warmth, humor and steely determination."—Bookpage

"Complex and compelling, Vasquez-Lavado’s quest to heal herself from the deep wounds of patriarchy is also a vibrantly feminist celebration of female resilience."—Kirkus Reviews

"Making history is nothing new for adventurous mountaineer, explorer, entrepreneur, author, and activist Silvia Vasquez-Lavado."—Out Magazine

Endless ice. Thin air. The threat of dropping into nothingness thousands of feet below. This is the climb Silvia Vasquez-Lavado braves in her 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 Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

©2022 Silvia Vasquez-Lavado (P)2022 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2022, BookPage Best Books of the Year, Long-listed

Featured Article: The Best Latino Audiobooks to Celebrate Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month


Celebrate Latino & Hispanic Heritage Month with our list of incredible audiobooks from Latino authors. These bestsellers, hidden gems, and stand-out stories celebrate the many voices, places and traditions that make Latino and Hispanic culture. From Miami to Cuba, New York City to Mexico, these varied stories paint a beautiful picture of what it means to be Hispanic - no matter where you live.

Dear Listener,

What do I hope you will take away from my story?
"I hope that you will find courage, hope, and be inspired to tackle your own emotional mountains—whatever they are. In the Shadow of the Mountain is an unbelievable roller coaster of a ride, a true adventure—not just an external one, but also an internal one of the soul. It is a very honest, vulnerable, and sometimes painful story. But it is a story of all of us. Many of you will see pieces of yourselves reflected in this book.
I hope this book will give you the courage and strength to embrace any of your hardships and understand the unlimited resilience that lives inside all of us. Our spirit is unbreakable, and we can overcome the most when we heal together. When we come together, share our stories, and walk side by side in nature or wherever we are—we can end up in amazing and transformative places.
I hope In The Shadow of the Mountain inspires you to take that first step toward embracing your own Everest." – Silvia Vasquez-Lavado, writer of In the Shadow of the Mountain

What listeners say about In the Shadow of the Mountain

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Excellent memoir

Very interesting and well written. The author reads the book beautifully. Intertwined story of the author's growing up and her overcoming of her childhood trauma and the place that climbing, especially climbing Everest made in her life was well done.

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Wow…

Thank you for your most compelling story. At times I felt that I was taking this journey with you..
Felicidades…
Raquel M

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  • Overall
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A Inspiring Story of Overcoming Trauma

I found the author’s story to be both uplifting and yet sad at times since her childhood trauma caused her so to make so many poor choices along the way. I found the interweaving of timelines helped keep the storyline positive when it could have taken so many bad turns. I especially enjoyed the trek to base camp with the young women and hearing their stories as well and how the trip was helping them to heal too.
Andie using Aaron’s account

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Amazing Journey!

thank you for the open transparency to take us along the journey within reminding us we too can do it.

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Great inspiring story

Loved the inspiring story. Narration by author was great, making it very real , like a fireside chat with her. Amazing , strong woman for sure!

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Excellent inspiring memoir on survival

Gracias Silvia Vasquez-Lavado for an inspiring memoir of hope, strength, love, family, wholeness, faith and determination.

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    3 out of 5 stars
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repetitive

needed to be edited down to a shorter story presentation. Accent of author sometimes hard to understand

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Next?

Left me wanting more! More about her life after she conquered Everest, which had to be easier than overcoming the torment of her childhood abuse. An absolutely amazing woman!

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great story

A very well executed woven of stories.
starts with a exciting story follow up by the reality of a traumatic story while holding you and making you feel tight,.

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Inspirational

This book was an interesting listen. I enjoyed listening to the author, in her own words, give an account of her life and difficulties she had to navigate to get where she is now.
This would be a great listen to any young person encountering difficulties, or older individuals who assist those with difficulties or who have lived through difficulties of their own.
This is not my normal genre, but I am sure glad I picked this book as one to listen to!

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