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Back to topCrazy for the Storm CD (CD-Audio)
Summer '10 Reading Group List
“Norman Ollstad's memoir of surviving a plane crash, in a howling winter storm high on the side of Ontario Peak in Southern California, is not merely a gripping story of an 11-year old boy's survival, but the bitter tale of a son's struggling to comprehend his father's death, the heroic story of his efforts, ultimately futile, to save his father's injured girl friend, and the saga of his wildly improbably descent of the mountain under horrendous conditions through astonishing presence of mind and perseverance. Greatly enriching this fascinating and well written account of survival are alternating chapters describing young Norman's complicated and confusing life growing up with his divorced mother and her live-in boyfriend on Topanga Beach, and his love-hate relationship with his proud and demanding father who, on skiing and surfing adventures in California and Mexico, constantly pushes him to--and sometimes beyond--the limits of his young physical and mental abilities. Struggling with post-survival guilt and the confusion of early adolescence, Norman comes to realize that it was the adversity his father made him confront that gave him the skills with which he survive his ordeal. The story's final challenge comes on a skiing trip to Mammoth Mountain, where his own father often took him as a boy, when the now grown Norman must confront the hopes he has for his own son, and decide how close to push him towards that thin line between safety and danger where lessons are learned. IN SUMMARY: Written in simple, almost matter-of-fact, but elegant prose, Crazy for the Storm is a coming-of-age story like you've never read, full of tragedy, beauty, struggle, adventure, and life-lessons--highly recommended for both adults and young adults, especially fathers and sons.”
— Gary Colliver, Windows on the World-Books & Art, Mariposa, CA
June 2009 Indie Next List
“Crazy for the Storm is a riveting account of survival. Norman Ollestad weaves the story of his unconventional early childhood and the details of a horrible airplane crash into a brilliant tribute to his adventurous father.”
— Jamie Robinson, Bestsellers Books & Coffee Co., Mason, MI
Description
“Breathtaking....Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night.”
—Washington Post Book World
Norman Olstead’s New York Times bestselling memoir Crazy for the Storm is the story of the harrowing plane crash the author miraculously survived at age eleven, framed by the moving tale of his complicated relationship with his charismatic, adrenaline-addicted father. Destined to stand with other classic true stories of man against nature—Into Thin Air and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer; Sebastian Junger’s The Perfect Storm—it is a literary triumph that novelist Russell Banks (Affliction) calls, “A heart-stopping story beautifully told….Norman Olstead has written a book that may well be read for generations.”
About the Author
Norman Ollestad studied creative writing at UCLA and attended UCLA Film School. He grew up on Topanga Beach in Malibu and now lives in Venice, California. He is the father of a nine-year-old son.
Norman Ollestad studied creative writing at UCLA and attended UCLA Film School. He grew up on Topanga Beach in Malibu and now lives in Venice, California. He is the father of a nine-year-old son.
