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A Line Above the Sky

On Mountains and Motherhood

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About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

Climbing gives you the illusion of being in control, just for a while, the tantalising sense of being able to stay one move ahead of death.

Helen Mort has always been drawn to the thrill and risk of climbing: the tension between human and rockface, and the climber's powerful connection to the elemental world. But when she becomes a mother for the first time, she finds herself re-examining her relationship with both the natural world and herself, as well as the way the world views women who aren't afraid to take risks.

A Line Above the Sky melds memoir and nature writing to ask why humans are drawn to danger and how we can find freedom in pushing our limits. It is a visceral love letter to losing oneself in physicality, whether climbing a mountain or bringing a child into the world and an unforgettable celebration of womanhood in all its forms.

©2022 Helen Mort (P)2022 Penguin Audio Climbing & Mountaineering Motherhood Outdoors & Nature Parenting & Families Personal Development Personal Success Relationships
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Highly recommend to any mother and any outdoor lover! Resonated with me and I’m fascinated with the same questions around people compelled to repeatedly seek out mountains despite their dangers.

Gripping, true and poetically written

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