Adventure Autobiography

In her debut Adventure Memoir,

O’Brien tells the story of how she lost her high-powered corporate job and decided to climb Mount Everest. Despite hair-raising obstacles and frozen body parts littering the trail, she succeeded and gradually moved into the highest ranks of mountaineering. Readers will be thrilled by her accounts of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent, and achieving the Explorers Grand Slam after skiing to both the north and south poles. She became the first British or American woman to conquer K2, arguably the most dangerous mountain in the world, and by the time her memoir was published in 2021, O’Brien became the first woman to reach earth’s highest and lowest points after diving in a submersible two miles deeper than Mt. Everest is tall.

Throughout her memoir, the author provides well-fleshed characterizations of guides, fellow travelers (some of whom become dear friends, some total jerks), and one fine fellow she calls Spousey. O’Brien pours her unflagging energy and hard-won life wisdom into every aspect of her book—even the epigraphs for each chapter are excellent—and her prose is commendably free of clichés and full of wit. All these elements combine to provide a beacon of inspiration in these dark times. O’Brien’s warm, witty voice will bring a wide audience to her world-class adventures.

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Go to the book’s official page to learn more about Vanessa’s adventure autobiography and to buy your copy.