In The Shadow of the Mountain

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a warrior. I’m in awe of her strength and courage. * Selena Gomez *An incredibly powerful story * Sunday Independent *Powerful * New York Times *In 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 *Told with searing honesty, this vividly wrought memoir chronicles an almost superhuman journey from the deep vortex of trauma and self-destructive compulsions to the heights of physical endurance and spiritual emergence. * Dr. Gabor Maté, Bestselling Author of In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts *powerful and relatable… a moving commemoration of mountains and mothers * Sunday Independent *

Silvia Vasquez-Lavado is a humanitarian, mountaineer, explorer, social entrepreneur, and technologist living in San Francisco. In 2014, she launched Courageous Girls to help survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking find their own inner strength. Courageous Girls has had projects in Nepal, the United States, and Peru. Vasquez-Lavado was recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the Corporate Heroes of 2015. CNET named her one of the 20 Most Influential Latinos in Silicon Valley. She has also been recognized by the Peruvian government as a cultural ambassador. She is a member of the Explorers Club and one of the few women in the world to complete the “Seven Summits.”