Synopses & Reviews
“Breathtaking....Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night.”
—Washington Post Book World
Norman Olsteads 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 Jungers 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.”
Review
“At times beautiful, at times heart-wrenching, Crazy for the Storm is a commanding read--a tale that proves the power of the human spirit can rise against any challenge, and a fathers legacy can be more than he imagines. BookPage
Review
“Extraordinaryan adventure story with a rich psychological foundation from an enormously talented author. Crazy for the Storm is a powerful book. It deserves to be a bestseller.” Pulitzer Prize & #150;winner Lucinda Franks, author of My Father's Secret War
Review
“Cinematic and personal . . . Ollestads insights into growing up in a broken home and adolescence in southern California are as engrossing as the story of his trip down the mountain.” Chicago Tribune
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“The memoir is as much about a father-son relationship as it is a survival story...Ollestad says his fathers life philosophy about surfing and skiing - ‘knowing theres always a place to go and find peace, clear your mind - got him down the mountain and through life.” USA Today
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“Riveting.” Entertainment Weekly
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“Crazy for the Storm is an absolutely compelling book which I read in one long sitting. The fact that its true made me shudder, but then Norman Ollestad is a fine writer and every detail is convincing.” Jim Harrison
Review
“Engrossing...Ollestad hits several notes that should make his memoir irresistible to those looking for page-turning but thought-provoking summer reading along the lines of Jon Krakauers Into Thin Air (1997)…Deep and resonant.” Kirkus Reviews
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“A book that may well be read for generations. Its a book that fathers should give to their sons, but sons should give it to their fathers, too . . . mothers, wives, sisters and daughters: read it and weep for all the boys and men you have ever loved.” Russell Banks
Review
“Never a dull moment....[Ollestad has] written a beautiful story about a thrill-loving father ‘the man with the sunshine in his eyes who taught his boy not just how to live, but how to thrive.” Houston Chronicle
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“As much a thriller as a memoir . . . gorgeously written, perfectly controlled.” Carolyn See
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“Tragic and exotic ...[with] short, punchy chapters and...nonstop emphasis on adrenaline-fueled excitement.” Janet Maslin, New York Times
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“A page-turning adventure tale . . . and a meditation on manhood.” Los Angeles Magazine
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“Breathtaking...A portrait of a fathers consuming love for his son, Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night.” Washington Post Book World
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“A heart-stopping adventure that ends in tragedy and in triumph, a love story that fearlessly explores the bond between a father and son and what it means to lead a life without limits.” Susan Cheever
Review
“An elegant memoir as well as a transformative coming-of-age tale. When he leaves his fathers limp body behind on the icy plateaugiving it a final kiss and caress as its claimed by the snowOllestad takes his first perilous steps not just into survival, but into adulthood.” New York Post
Synopsis
From the age of three, Norman Ollestad was thrust into the world of surfing and competitive downhill skiing by the charismatic father he both idolized and resented. These exhilarating tests of skill prepared "Boy Wonder," as his father called him, to become a fearless champion—and ultimately saved his life.
Flying to a ski championship ceremony in February 1979, the chartered Cessna carrying Norman and his father crashed into the San Gabriel Mountains. "Dad and I were a team, and he was Superman," Ollestad writes. But now Norman's father was dead, and the devastated eleven-year-old had to descend the treacherous, icy mountain alone.
Set amid the spontaneous, uninhibited surf culture of Malibu and Mexico in the late 1970s, this riveting memoir, written in crisp Hemingwayesque prose, recalls Ollestad's childhood and the magnetic man whose determination and love infuriated and inspired him—and also taught him to overcome the indomitable. As it illuminates the complicated bond between an extraordinary father and his son, Ollestad's powerful and unforgettable true story offers remarkable insight for us all.
Synopsis
Breathtaking....Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night. Washington Post Book WorldNorman 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. "
Synopsis
"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.