Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival

Description: Eleven-year-old Norman had been coached by his father for competitive sports from a very young age. But when their private plane crashed in the mountains in 1979, killing his father, Norman's skills were put to the ultimate test.

Brief description:

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.

Review Quotes:

"An elegant memoir as well as a transformative coming-of-age tale. When he leaves his father's limp body behind on the icy plateau--giving it a final kiss and caress as it's claimed by the snow--Ollestad takes his first perilous steps not just into survival, but into adulthood." - New York Post

"Never a dull moment. . . . Ollestad's prose is crisp and exacting, a controlled approach to his tumultuous past. . . . There's enough drama in the plane crash alone to sustain a novel, but Ollestad has done something much more. He's 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

"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

"Tragic and exotic ...[with] short, punchy chapters and...nonstop emphasis on adrenaline-fueled excitement." - Janet Maslin, New York Times

"Riveting." - Entertainment Weekly

"Breathtaking...A portrait of a father's consuming love for his son, Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night." - Washington Post Book World

"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 Krakauer's Into Thin Air (1997)...Deep and resonant." - Kirkus Reviews

"A page-turning adventure tale . . . and a meditation on manhood." - Los Angeles Magazine

"Cinematic and personal . . . Ollestad's 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

"Tragic and exotic . . . adrenaline-fueled excitement." - Janet Maslin, New York Times

"The memoir is as much about a father-son relationship as it is a survival story...Ollestad says his father's life philosophy about surfing and skiing - 'knowing there's always a place to go and find peace, clear your mind' - got him down the mountain and through life." - USA Today

"A book that may well be read for generations. It's 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

"I could not stop reading this thrilling memoir. Why do we sometimes feel most alive when we are risking our lives? Ollestad answers this question with 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

"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 father's legacy can be more than he imagines. - BookPage

"Extraordinary--an 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-winner Lucinda Franks, author of My Father's Secret War

"As much a thriller as a memoir . . . gorgeously written, perfectly controlled." - Carolyn See

"Crazy for the Storm is an absolutely compelling book which I read in one long sitting. The fact that it's true made me shudder, but then Norman Ollestad is a fine writer and every detail is convincing." - Jim Harrison

"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