I Am Here

On Staying Alive

'A writer to watch... I was gripped' LEMN SISSAY
'Rare and remarkable' HELEN MORT
'Utterly involving, moving and brilliant' M. JOHN HARRISON
'Extraordinary' LOUISA YOUNG
'Gripping... Searingly honest, brutally real' MANNI COE
'Propulsive and intoxicating' LILY DUNN

This is a true story of survival set in the most extreme mental and physical landscapes: a journey through total breakdown, the depths of loss and the beauty and danger of high mountains

In her early thirties, Kate Armstrong was on top of the world: building a future with the love of her life, thriving in a fast-moving career and climbing spectacular mountain peaks. Then, out of the blue, she had a shattering breakdown, fell into near-fatal addiction and almost destroyed her marriage.

A decade later, she’s hit by a catastrophe of a whole different order. Unable to find her way forward, she turns to her past experiences for lessons in how to survive. Then, the mountains grounded her. Now, they become her salvation.

I Am Here ranges between Alpine peaks and psychiatric hospitals, the wilds of Scotland and basement AA meetings, London backstreets and the fierce beauty of the remote Himalaya. It is a love story. It is a testament to those who care for and guide us. Above all, it demonstrates the wisdom that can come from deep pain – and how it can help us through whatever lies ahead.

The mountains of rock and ice were so much more straightforward than the mountains of my mind

Armstrong’s visceral descriptions of scaling peaks and unravelling minds establish her as a writer to watch out for. Hers is a voice that refuses to look away, even when the terrain turns treacherous. I was gripped

LEMN SISSAY

About Kate Armstrong

Kate Armstrong is a writer and avid amateur mountaineer who has climbed across the UK, Europe and the Himalaya. She has survived extremes of all kinds and come through wiser. She spent many years as a management consultant, completed a PhD on John Donne and holds a Creative Writing MFA from Birkbeck. Kate currently lives in London.
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Details
  • Imprint: Chatto & Windus
  • ISBN: 9781784746728
  • Length: 400 pages
  • Price: £22.00
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