Crazy for the Storm: A Memoir of Survival by Norman Ollestad has been a surprise hit on the bookshelves this summer, garnering strong reviews from critics and fans alike. Ollestad was an eleven-year old boy when his plane crashed in the San Gabriel Mountains in 1979, losing his father (and his girlfriend and the pilot) in the crash.
A glance at the book jacket will lead you to think the book will be about the boy’s harrowing trudge down a mountain, shattered physically and mentally, and his eventual rescue. And it is – a bit. The book is so much more, it really has to be read to be understood. The book is about relationships – especially that of father and son. Ollestad details his upbringing during the counter-culture 70’s – his father (a former FBI agent, of all things), drove the boy hard to master such things as skiing and surfing. At times, you want to throttle his father, but there is a clear affection, even after all these years.
The book shows how pivotal people can be in a young person’s life – even moments – or decades – after they have gone. It’s a fascinating tale about how a ghost can drive one to succeed – or survive.
Highly recommended.
Read more on the book at www.crazyforthestorm.com.