The Sharp End of Life

A Mother's Story

256 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-242-7
Published: Apr 1, 2019

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Description

"The author proves that age is just a number and that determination and grit can take a person to unexpected heights. For her, that meant conquering El Capitan at the age of 66. Wolownick's story of her drive to push her physical body beyond her mental limits will serve as a stimulant for those yearning to do more with their lives. A motivational tale of a woman who overcame her biggest critics, including her inner self, to achieve one dream after another."-Kirkus Reviews

Wife and mother. Teacher and musician. Marathoner and rock climber. At 66, Dierdre Wolownick became the oldest woman to climb El Capitan in Yosemite--and in The Sharp End of Life: 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.

Contributors

Details

256 pages
Publisher: Mountaineers Books
ISBN: 978-1-68051-242-7
Published: Apr 1, 2019

Reviews

Raw and compelling
— Maria Aldrich, Sports Illustrated
I was drawn to the book to find out what it must be like to be the mother of the first person to free solo El Capitan, but ended up finding Dierdre's resilience the most intriguing and inspiring aspect.
— Natalie Berry, UKC
A stirring autobiographical tale of a multitalented woman who ignores barriers and succeeds with the strength of her inner determination. [The Sharp End of Life] is an engrossing story written in absorbing prose that will fascinate the reader and trigger applause for the escapades of this liberated woman.
— Aaron Row, Tulsa Book Review
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...a inherently fascinating life story that is at once instructional and inspirational.
— Midwest Book Review
What must it be like to be Alex Honnold's mother? In this gripping memoir, Dierdre Wolownick answers this and many other questions... As Wolownick herself becomes more immersed in the sport, she develops a genuine passion; having taken up climbing at age 58, she recounts her one-day ascent, with Alex and a friend, of El Capitan's Lurking Fear.
— Climbing
Dierdre has recently put her thoughts on raising Alex, her life as a mother, and her new climbing passion in a book titled The Sharp End of Life: A Mother’s Story... Dierdre talks about being the mother of perhaps the greatest climber ever to live, but she also relates being a beginner and dipping her own toes in the climbing life for the first time well into her 50s.
— Chris Kalous, The Enormocast
At age 66, Wolownick set a record of her own on El Capitan – becoming the oldest woman ever to climb that sheer rock face. In rock climbing parlance, “the sharp end” refers to the lead climber, the one who is determining the route. And, finally, that is what Wolownick is doing with her own life. In The Sharp End of Life, instead of retiring in her golden years, Wolownick is inspiring.
— Barbara Lloyd McMichael, Coast Weekend
Words worth reading: The mother of extreme climber Alex Honnold, star of the documentary Free Solo, tells her own tale of conquering fear after learning to rock-climb at age 58.
— People magazine
In her new book [The Sharp End of Life], Wolownick shares her story of adventure and resilience—both on and off the rock…. Her intimate memoir is a story of the tricky cards that life sometimes deals, the reactions we choose, and the amazing things that can happen when we move step-by-step toward the things that make us come alive.
— Hilary Oliver, REI Co-op Journal
Moving...Dierdre Wolownick is every bit the adventure badass her world-famous son is.... In her new memoir, The Sharp End of Life, Wolownick recounts not only her role as matriarch to the climbing world's king but also as a daughter and wife who struggled to find her own idea of happiness.
— Adam Ruggiero, GearJunkie
At times, [Dierdre Wolownick’s] story is one of pain and loneliness…of putting the needs of others first to such an unfathomable degree that she was nearly friendless well into adulthood, sacrificing her sense of self in the process. But then—and this is the best part—there was liberation, reached through a deep and abiding resilience brought to the surface when Wolownick…starts following Alex up the walls of Yosemite.
— Shawnté Salabert, Adventure Journal
[A] memoir about her metamorphosis from a self-effacing wife in an unhappy marriage to a confident athletic role model for her generation…. Wolownick fights her way through…to find a place to breathe, as both a woman and mother. The challenges she overcame seem to me as challenging as any rock wall.
— John Glionna, Outside
Honnold fans who enjoyed his memoir Alone on the Wall or saw the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo will appreciate [Dierdre] Wolownick's intimate stories. Others will find inspiration in her record as the oldest woman to climb El Capitan.
— Margaret Atwater-Singer, Library Journal
The author proves that age is just a number and that determination and grit can take a person to unexpected heights. For her, that meant conquering El Capitan at the age of 66. Wolownick's story of her drive to push her physical body beyond her mental limits will serve as a stimulant for those yearning to do more with their lives. A motivational tale of a woman who overcame her biggest critics, including her inner self, to achieve one dream after another.
— Kirkus Reviews
A testament to the transformative power of outdoor adventure.
— Alex Honnold
Inspired by her two children, both extreme athletes, Dierdre Wolownick literally marathon runs and rock climbs herself out of her fear, grief, and a difficult marriage. The Sharp End of Life is a story of mother-love, self-determination, and the refusal to simply endure. The world is well aware of the superhuman climbing feats of her son, Alex; now we can witness the awe-inspiring feats of his tenacious sixty-something mother. This is a story of unwavering belief: in one’s children, in one’s self, in the possibility of an extraordinary life.
— Jan Redford, author of End of the Rope