The Sharp End of Life: A Mother's Story

by Dierdre Wolownick Honnold

Wife and mother. Teacher and musician. Marathoner and rock climber. At 66, Dierdre Wolownick-Honnold became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in Yosemite--and in The Sharp End of A Mother’s Story, she shares her intimate journey, revealing how her climbing achievement reflects a broader story of courage and persistence.



Dierdre grew up under the watchful eyes of a domineering mother and realized early on that her parents’ plans for her future weren’t what she wanted for herself. Later, what seemed like a storybook romance brought escape, with new experiences and eye-opening travel, but she quickly discovered that her husband was not the happy-go-lucky man he had first appeared. Adapting as best she could, Dierdre juggled work and raising two young children, encouraging them to be fearlessly confident. She noted with delight how her “little lady” Stasia took it upon herself to look out for her baby brother, and watched in amazement as Alex (Honnold of "Free Solo" fame) started climbing practically before he could crawl.



After years of struggle in her marriage and her ultimate divorce, Dierdre found inspiration in her now-adult children’s passions, as well as new depths within herself. At Stasia’s urging, she took up running at age 54 and soon completed several marathons. Then at age 58, Alex led her on her first rock climbs. A world of friendship and support suddenly opened up to her within the climbing “tribe,” culminating in her record-setting ascent of El Cap with her son.



From confused young wife and busy but lonely mother to confident middle-aged athlete, Dierdre brings the reader along as she finds new strength, happiness, and community in the outdoors--and a life of learning, acceptance, and spirit.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Climbing, Autobiography, Adventure

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2019

Reviews

[Kathleen Quetin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t begin to describe how much I loved this book. It was so compelling that I could literally not put it down. It is much more than a narrative about what it’s like to be the mother of a rock climbing superstar. You will find your heart aching as you follow along with her feelings of isolation during her marriage. However, you will also be uplifted and inspired as you follow her out of the darkness and into the light of a beautiful new life as a powerful woman. She is an extremely talented writer. She is humble and honest as she describes her personal climbing feats. Her words caused me to evaluate what personal goals I may have been neglecting. I feel supercharged and will start 2020 with renewed energy. Thank you for sharing your story, Dierdre!

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m conflicted. There’s so much good in this book. I was sad that most of the stories were about Alex and very little about her daughter. Also, it’s quite apparent she still holds so much bitterness for her ex husband. It became a tired subject after a while. I also wonder how she didn’t know about autism from being a teacher. There’s a very real possibility that he gave her what he had to give. I hope she realizes one day that she isn’t his victim.

Unfortunately, these are the things that stuck with me most.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be Alex Honnold's mom, well, here you go. BUT—it's much, much more than that. This story really resonated with me. It's inspiring and will give you a good kick in the pants to take control of your own dreams and shake off whatever's holding you back.

[Nan Sprester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching Alex Honnold free solo El Capitan I wondered how his mother felt, knowing already how I would feel if it was my child. What I hoped would be a quick internet search instead turned into reading her book but it turned out to be so much more than just a book about raising extraordinary children. Deidre herself is an inspiration, a woman who has accomplished much in her life. She is a dedicated mom, a teacher, a world traveler, marathon runner, musician, writer, orchestra conductor, house flipper. Most impressive perhaps is that she decided to take up rock climbing in her late fifties to have that connection with her son. And at the age of 66 she became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan. Her descriptions of her adventures clinging to the sides of mountains made it all real for me and I maybe understood the appeal of it for the first time. I’d like to say she’s inspired me to start running marathons or climbing mountains but if I can just keep sight of how her accomplishments have inspired me to try new things and just push myself the tiniest bit in my every day life, then that is a lot. Highly recommend.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook of The Sharp End of Life and it was an absolute joy to hear someone describe the wonders of climbing. Dierdre also talks about her life before she started climbing at approx. 57 years (and how she ended up still climbing el capitan!!! what!) and even though there were some rought parts, it was comforting to hear about the things she filled her life with, her love of language, music and most of all her two kids. That's coming from someone who is terrible at languages, who is weirdly not really into music, and who currently has no wish for kids, so she must have told it well for me to relate to :) maybe the biggest takeaway from the book is that life is never over and there are always new things to discover and be amazed at. Aaaaah I think climbing-related books might be a new niche genre for me to love :D
note the narration of the audiobook was just fine according to myself, but 'robot-like' according to my partner who listened to approx. 5 minutes of it.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In which Alex Honnold's mom takes up climbing. The subtitle is "a Mother's Story" and it is indeed a book about being Mom. Young Dierdre has two charming, talented children, but is also saddled with family responsibilities, unpaid caretaking, loneliness and general overwhelm while everyone around her jaunts off to do their own thing. In her mid 50s she finally gets her own chance for the freedom of the hills, and yes, she does make Alex take her climbing. I would too. In fact, I should make my own children read this book!

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any criticism of D’s biography should be of her editors (there were three.) Her triumph over abandonment t/o her life is epic.

Her parsimony in telling the tale is similar to Jim Whittaker’s style. But her description of how shedding the mantle of wife was hard won would not be something Whittaker would never encounter. Women tell the stories through the lens of “other.”

I couldn’t put her story down. In fact, I’ll probably reread it.

She deserves her own genre. And a better editor.

[Mark Skosnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Half the book is just bashing ex husband... but the stories about Alex's dad give good insight into his personality and how he can do the things he does. Also cool stories about Deirdre adventuring with Alex

[Elizabeth McInerney · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Sharp End of Life" is the story of how the author, Dierdre Wolownick, recently became the oldest woman to climb Yosemite's iconic El Capitan (Oct 31st, 2017), the USA's most daunting summit with 3000 feet of elevation and 2000 feet of vertical granite. She also shares experiences and reflections on raising Alex Honnold, the first and only person to free solo this same face (June 3rd 2017).

This book resonated with me because I am also a mother of very active boys, share similar parenting philosophies & struggles around risk, am close in age to the author, and was raised in the NYC area in an immigrant family with old country values and very limiting views on what daughters could or should do. However, I am grateful to not have experienced the difficult marriage that she describes and that shaped most of her adult life.

As an older woman who is absolutely not in Diedre's shape, and who would like to be, I found her story very motivating! If a woman can accomplish this at 66, I have no excuses!

Perhaps because I am not a rock climber, the final chapters did drag on for me a bit. It was hard to follow and remember all of the gear names, and to picture how various moves worked (I listened to the audio version). Also, It felt like all of the insights had been expressed by the time she started this final climb (and perhaps by the one before), so I found myself looking for something more, thought I am not sure what.

Since her children were such an important part of her life, I do find myself wondering how she managed the letting go process, if that influenced her to pick up their hobbies (rock climbing and running), and if she has any advice or insight from traveling that path.

Overall, I would recommend this book, esp to wives and mothers who appreciate the outdoors.

[Xzs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I squirreled this book away for several months, saving it for just the right time when I could savor it. With a long car ride into the mountains ahead of me, this weekend proved to be just the occasion to crack open this memoir by Dierdre Wolownick. Since the book places a large emphasis on climbing, I was fairly confident I was going to enjoy the story, but I am pleased to report that the reading experience exceeded my expectations. I never expected to discover much commonality between Dierdre’s life experience and my own, yet I continually encountered behavioral patterns, personality traits and parental challenges that mirror my own life. While I am fairly confident I have not spawned another Alex Honnold, I am all too familiar with the unique challenges of parenting a child that can’t seem to quell the urge to climb. On more than one occasion I have emerged from the house to discover my offspring perched upon our roof. While I possess a paralyzing fear of heights, I can’t help but feel a burning desire to conquer the fear and climb. For now I remain a mostly armchair climbing enthusiast, largely due to “life” getting in the way. But this book has inspired me to dig deeper and try to find the time to conquer my fears and experience life from a different vantage point. I am humbled by Dierdre’s athletic accomplishments at an “advanced” age, but I am even more inspired by her tenacity. She is every bit the hero as her son. And her daughter, by the way, is no shrinking violet herself (I’d be fascinated to read a similar memoir penned by Stasia).

[Clara Mazzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deirdre Wolownick è la mamma di Alex Honnold. Come per il libro di suo figlio, nulla da eccepire, ben scritto, persona interessante. Ma umanamente arida. Anche Deirdre è molto concentrata (ed unicamente) su di sé, sui suoi numerosi achievements nonostante la famiglia (due figli piccoli e tanti lavori) e le difficoltà di un matrimonio difficile. Perché “difficile”? Perché il marito era un asperger, molto concentrato su di sé e molto poco comunicativo (a meno che non si trattasse di viaggiare) ma soprattutto era completamente inaffidabile per quanto riguardava la responsabilità verso i figli: o era via per lavoro (praticamente sempre) oppure era immerso a tal punto nelle sue letture dal dimenticarsi completamente dall’andare a prendere i figli a scuola o a una festa, e se lei glielo faceva notare, lui semplicemente si scrollava di dosso ogni responsabilità.
Deirdre penava moltissimo in quest’unione, ma essendo di origini polacche e quindi profondamente cattoliche, non voleva affatto rompere il suo matrimonio che sente di dover rispettare (ma perché però continuava a lasciare i figli da andare a ritirare al marito, se sapeva che non ne era in grado?), sperando che prima o poi le cose sarebbero cambiate o che lei riuscisse ad imparare accettarlo, infine contando anche molto sul fatto che comunque suo marito era poco presente in casa. E così “santa” Deirdre (o forse meglio dire: l’”eroina” Deirdre) non solo si occupa dei due figli e della casa e di un marito asperger, ma lavora. Tanto. Scrive articoli. Libri. Per chiunque la voglia pubblicare. Di qualsiasi argomento. (E la pubblicano, of course). Poi insegna (il suo lavoro principale di sempre) lingue straniere. Poi scopre che la sua grande passione è dirigere un’orchestra e allora “guardando” i gesti dei grandi direttori alla tele, li imita e mette insieme un’orchestra (credo di quartiere, ma lei si guarda bene dallo specificare) e inizia anche una carriera di dirigente d’orchestra (eh?). Poi i figli crescono e il matrimonio va a rotoli, ma lei non solo tiene duro con tutto (mille lavori, mille suoi talenti! e il marito), ma nel frattempo riceve una richiesta per una pubblicazione di una guida “Sacramento for kids”. Lei, ovviamente accetta e sperimenta tutto con i suoi figli, inclusa una piccola palestra di roccia, che aveva appena aperto o qualcosa del genere: per quello che concerne Alex Honnold, è storia.
Stop! Deirdre non sta scrivendo di suo figlio, ma di lei. Quindi torna a raccontare di come lei, all’età di cinquant’anni suonati (e portati maluccio, a guardare dalle foto), divorzia e riprende in mano le redini della sua vita, ritrovandosi a gestire ristrutturazioni di ben 4 appartamenti oltre al suo – che lei, ovviamente, fa gestendo tutto dal telefono (sentendosi super orgogliosa di questo) perché deve ovviamente mantenere ovviamente, tutti gli altri lavori che aveva in precedenza a cui ha aggiunto lo sport. Da una parte si mette a correre con sua figlia, sottolineando più volte come lei si alleni solo quando i numerosi lavori che lei continua a portare avanti, glielo permettano e di come lei sia la più vecchia, ma soprattutto di come, a dispetto di tutti questi ostacoli, lei riesca a riportare a casa risultati sempre soddisfacenti. Dall’altra inizia a scalare con Alex.
L’incantesimo del fascino nei suoi confronti – francamente dalla luce alquanto fioca perché semplicemente non è credibile tutto quello che ha fatto, oppure ha fatto cose di bassissima lega perché la giornata è fatta di 24 ore per tutti – si è definitivamente spento quando si mette a raccontare di come le sia bastato entrare nella famosa palestra in cui aveva portato per la prima volta il suo bambino prodigio, oggi però in assenza di Alex (perché lei vuole farcela “coi suoi mezzi” sembra volerci dire), senza aver mai arrampicato in vita sua e a 60 anni suonati e di come nel giro di pochi minuti avesse legato con altri climbers, avesse iniziato a fare sicura e scalare le prime pareti. Eh???? Ma davvero nessuno sapeva che sei la mamma di Honnold?? Maddai!!!
Sinceramente vi immaginate se una vecchina (perché non li porta benissimo i suoi anni), si avvicina ad un gruppo di giovani ventenni, pieni di testosterone fino ad esplodere, e chiede di scalare con loro, specificando che è la prima volta, cosa succede? Credete sinceramente che le dicano: ma certo, signora! Con piacere! Oppure forse andava raccontata così: entra la mamma di Alex Honnold in palestra e cerca qualcuno che le insegni e trova immediatamente qualcuno? Lo dico non solo perché questo è stato il mio sospetto fin da subito ma anche perché poi scorrendo le pagine, salta fuori che a Yosemite tutti sanno benissimo chi sia lei e quindi ovviamente non la trattano come la pensionata qualunque che si vuole cimentare in una nuova disciplina sportiva.
La lettura procede sempre più faticosamente a causa del suo incensarsi costante, del suo decantare i suoi grandi risultati che non possono sicuramente essere tali visto che non ci dedica abbastanza tempo. Non da ultimo, la sua “impresa” di scalata a El Cap (col jumar!!) l’ho trovata veramente stucchevole. È un libro che comunque ha un suo perché, ma sarebbe stato molto più interessante se avesse valutato la sua posizione di genitore di un figlio che ha un’amigdala diversa dal resto del mondo (e se ne guarda bene dal dirlo!), che fa quindi cose da far rizzare i capelli in testa e cosa comporta questo nel suo percorso e spiegare agli altri ragazzi che Alex può fare certe cose perché ha una struttura neurale diversa da tanti. Essendo però una persona arida, tutto questo discorso non emerge e se lei non fosse la mamma di Alex Honnold, questo libro non interesserebbe a nessuno.

[Minervas Owl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book for two reasons: firstly, to delve into the making of Alex Honnold, the renowned climber and the author's son, and secondly, to explore Dierdre Wolownick's remarkable achievement of climbing El Capitan at an age over 60. Surprisingly, I ended up loving the book mostly for something I didn't expect: Dierdre's journey of finding human connections and healing through climbing after suffering from a lonely and traumatic marriage.

The documentary "Free Solo" briefly mentioned the travel lust and Asperger syndrome of Alex Honnold's father, but Dierdre reveals a deeper, more complex challenge. Her husband often ignore people and withdrew from family responsibilities. He had even left her alone at top of Mist Trail and went downhill by himself. Despite this, Dierdre thrived, engaging in writing and leading a community orchestra. However, she yearned for deeper human connections, which she eventually found within the climbing community. Her descriptions of tearing up while sitting around campfire with climbing friends at night are genuine and moving.

Dierdre's narrative of her climbing journey is inspiring. Initially, I assumed her success in climbing was due to sharing athletic genes with Alex. However, she reveals that she never exercised before starting running at the age of 54 and climbing at 58. Moreover, she struggled with various health issues like poor lung capacity, sciatica, arthritis, and more. She described lead climbing indoors at 5.10c - a moderate and reachable grade. But she made impressive day-long multi-pitch ascents outdoors, showing her endurance and perseverance. She ascended El Cap by jumaring up fixed lines, a movement many climbers might consider boring. But she was determined to make the 3000-foot battle. I may never be interested in jumaring up El Cap - just like I probably won't run a marathon like Dierdre did, but I admire her for persisting at her goals.

Dierdre offers us a window to glimpse Alex Honnold's growth. She didn't understand her son's passion for climbing on a visceral level in his formative years. She also didn't mention intentionally training her son to be more mentally strong. But she chose a laissez-faire attitude when her son made daredevil moves at the playground and later climbed to the rooftop of their house -- this is enough. Controlling parents should take note here.

Lastly, two pet peeves.
· Charlie might have been an absent-minded spouse and dad, but according to Alex, he did belay him in countless gym sessions and drove him to many climbing competitions. Dierdre did not mention these at all, which is not entirely fair.
· The book is titled "The Sharp End of Life," with 'sharp end' referring to the climber leading the climb. However, Dierdre barely describes what leading a climb feels like. Moreover, in all the significant climbing trips she mentions in the book, she followed her son and was not on the sharp end! I'm not suggesting she must lead climb on El Cap, and I understand she uses "sharp end" as a metaphor for her life's struggles. Still, I think the book is mistitled.

[Isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a privilege to the rest of us that when someone who has led such an interesting life also happens to be a talented writer. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Dierde's style is clear, and the story flowed well: a succinct and chronological recounting of her life, somber as it began, to the vibrance of now. As an obsessive climber myself, I can say that Wolownick does a very good job at capturing the nie-intangible profoundness that climbing exerts on one's life, and framing her perspective in the innumerable spectrum of experiences that climbers carve out for themselves. As any climber knows, the meaning of climbing is 100% personal. Take, for example, her son. Alex Honnold is revered by many to be the climber's version of the Second Coming of Christ. Something that he might find mundane, she (and many others like myself) find life-changing, and she acknowledges this. I must also applaud her candidness throughout the narrative; others might assume more grandeur for having raised someone like Alex, and she does not. Very practical. Very open, honest, and interesting. The one caveat with this book, I believe, is that it is best appreciated if the reader is familiar with the feats of her son. Luckily, that requisite is now made easy with the filming of the movie, "Free Solo." Climber or not, I recommend this book to anyone.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really touching and memorable memoir by an interesting individual. Though rock climbing is not a sport I could see myself ever getting into, after visiting Yosemite for the first time recently I have become fascinated with the world of climbing huge granite formations. Dierdre Wolownick is the mother of ultra famous climber Alex Honnold, who is known as the first to Free Solo El Capitan in Yosemite. Dierdre Wolownick proved herself a strong athlete by running her first marathon at age 55, and being the oldest person to climb El Capitan at age 66. She also beat her El Cap record climbing it a second time at age 70. As a traveler, linguist, and teacher throughout her life, Dierdre had a rich and interesting life that was only further expanded when she started climbing. I think it is so important to hear about people being beginners in anything at an older age, because we are never too old to start a new hobby or to be a novice at something. I loved how climbing helped strengthen connections with both of her children (Stasia Honnold is also an incredible athlete in running and distance cycling). This book gave me lot of hope that at age 28, the possibilities life has to offer me in the future and the goals I want are well within reach- it's never too late to start!

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wouldn't have thought to read a memoir by the parent of a famous person. But it was a surprise gift. It's inspiring to see someone do so much physically later in life. Lessons about comparing yourself to others, parenting, enduring despite whatever excuses you have.

When she refers to her ex-husband are speed bumps in enjoyment of the book. She acknowledges he probably had mental issues, likely autism etc. Her portrayal in light of that is cruel.

one of the passages that stuck out to me:
"And, especially, some tears for the awe of motherhood. Parenting like life in general-is a crapshoot. We can't know how it'll turn out, so we just plod along, doing the best we can with what we're given. We all learn that, if we're lucky. So while we can strive for something in life, we should. The bigger the challenge, the greater the reward. My son knows things that have taken me a lifetime to begin to embrace."

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone introduced to climbing by dating a big wall climber in graduate school, and now as the mother of a son with reckless tendencies, I'm so grateful to understand this momma's story!

This book is about so much more than climbing or being the mother of an extreme climber. This book is a tribute to curiosity, love, and learning, and how these have unfolded for an extraordinary woman. A woman born to immigrant parents who secretly discovered her innate language abilities, a woman whose own childhood was arrested due to a disabled mother, a woman who longed to spread her wings and did so by denying the expectations placed on her by society, a woman who fell in love with her husband, overseas travel, her new home, her kids and their distinct personalities, only to discover that love could be so much more.

To fully appreciate this book it has to be read as a timeline, personally and collectively, because when Dierdre Wolownick married almost nothing was known about neurodiversity. She though embraced the neurodiversity of her kids and their development entirely because of her curiosity. It's clear this journey was far from easy and yet, as she learned to accept her kids' needs, she also became increasingly aware of her own needs and grew along with them to do things she could never have imagined.

I love this book! It was truly inspirational.

[zan Armstrong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful to read a story about a woman who finds new life in her second half. It’s not a Silicon Valley-esque saga where every struggle is just a part of the future triumph. It’s not about being the best…but about being. About discovering climbing as a way to be with friends, challenge herself, to feel good, to spend time with her son sharing in his passion, and a son who is arguable the worlds best climber taking his mom climbing. When Alex was little, she recognized that it was better to respect his need to climb everything than try to suppress it. There is so much acceptance in this story…of self, of others, of hard times…and to acknowledge that we have so little control yet also find that we can choose to prioritize something like going to the climbing gym twice a week with friends.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from the author, who was a keynote speaker at my husband’s conference. Dierdre, mother to free solo climber Alex Hummold, is inspiring in her own way. She took up marathon running in her fifties to see why it fascinated her daughter. Then learned how to mountain climb to understand her son’s passion. She developed her own passion for climbing (or maybe just enjoyed the challenge of it with the benefit of being able to spend time with Alex, doing what he loved?). She climbed El Capitan a few times, including a climb on her 70th birthday. The mantra in her talk and in her book is “take baby steps” towards your goal and you can do it. Very inspiring!

[Jay Larbes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly enjoyed this read. 4.5 stars.

Enjoyed multiple aspects:
- Very interesting to read about Alex's feats from the perspective of his mother. As well as learning about what trouble he got into as a child.
- Tragic to learn about Dierdre's difficult marriage
- Inspiring to learn about how she reinvented herself as her children grew up as well as the grit, determination, and perseverance she described
- Experiencing rock climbing from her storytelling

I wished there would have been more about Deirdre's daughter as well; it seemed like she had an interesting story to share as well.

[Spring Waters · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truthfully I found myself annoyed by her continual self doubt and worrying. At the same time, as a climber, I know exactly this processes and have done it over and over again myself. I cant say why I found it so annoying to listen to. I listed to this on audible and possibly it was the narrator that made it so annoying.
Otherwise, a great book. Climbing, in some ways, from the other side. As a parent instead of the child, as an older person instead of a young person. I love her determination and spirit.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the author, Dierdre Wolowmick, I am a "woman of a certain age" who remains active in the out-of-doors and enjoys setting challenges for myself to meet. I found this book exhilarating and inspiring as the author challenges herself to a big goal, breaks it down to small steps, seeks out experts for advice, and works hard to meet her goal and overcome all the obstacles along the way. She does much of this in my favorite place in the world, Yosemite National Park. So it's an added bonus to travel in my mind to Yosemite and vicariously climb domes and cliffs with the author.

[Jana Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story, a memoir. I have followed Alex Honnold for over a year because I enjoy learning about rock climbing. I read that every year Alex takes his mother on a climb and, having sons of my own, I know how special that is. When I read that she had written a book I bought it the very next day and began listening to the audiobook immediately after buying. I did not regret it. It is well written and easy to listen to.

[Lzarrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was interesting, but I read it for book club knowing nothing about her son and his impressive feats. So I found her family story most interesting. As her life progressed, she focused on doing more for herself, which coincidentally resulted in her literally following her son’s footsteps on climbs. I wish I better understood the climbing terms. I struggled to imagine what she was describing on these challenging climbs.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a hiker (not climber), i can relate to the healing nature of a life focused on the great outdoors. As a mom, I appreciated the immense love that it takes to accept the paths our children may choose even though we can’t always wrap our brain around their choices. This wonderfully written book encourages all that it’s never to late to learn, change or enjoy this amazing world we live in. As we heal trauma, brand new adventures open up to us if we allow it to happen. This takes real courage.

[Aeriel · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enlightening book on how age does not define one's limit. Truly inspiring on how Dierdre handled hers and her family's life throughout the years but I feel at times that she made it quite clear she was unhappy with her marriage. Nonetheless, she wrote with such detail that at times I would cheer for her while she's doing her runs and climbs as if I was there.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly what I did and didn’t need to read. Great writing matched with insights into self awareness, motherhood and relationships. Makes me want to see if other famous men’s moms wrote books. It was especially neat to read Alone on the Wall earlier this summer and then this to hear two perspectives on similar events.

[Elizabeth Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Alex Hannold is one of my favorite athletes, but for this book he is more of a supporting character as the reader follows his mom's journey starting in her late 50s to fully reinvent herself. Her determination and courage are inspiring. It's also too hear about Alex from a slightly different perspective than he is normally viewed through.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I am not a climber, I found this memoir interesting and inspiring. This memoir explores the life experiences that shaped Deidre’s passion for climbing. This well-written book brings insight into what it takes to be a climber, love a climber and also support one.

[Pat Janes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful memoir of an incredible woman, as adventurous as she is resilient.

I came to the book for Alex Honnold's mum, but I stayed for Dierdre's warm story-telling and compelling tales of childhood to motherhood, and beyond.

Highly recommended to anyone who loves a good yarn.

[Patrice La Vigne · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an easy read, and I think the most interesting parts for me was learning about Dierdre's perspectives and motherly view of Alex's adventures. I can't imagine what it's like to live in those shoes, so it was intriguing to truly hear her voice on the matters.