48 peaks: hiking and healing in the White Mountains

"Floundering in her second career, the one she's always wanted, forty-eight year old Cheryl Suchors resolves that midlife success depends on hiking the highest of the grueling White Mountains in New Hampshire. All forty-eight of them. Never mind her fear of heights. In the ten years it ultimately takes her to achieve this goal, she endures injuries, novice mistakes, and the heartbreaking loss of a best friend. When breast cancer threatens her own life, she seeks solace and recovery in the wild, redefining success as she learns that mastery of climbing is not enough. In nature she discovers spiritual nourishment, spaces powerful enough to absorb grief, and the persistence of hope and beauty. Her journey inspires us all to believe that no matter what obstacles we face, we too can attain our summits." --