World-renowned ice climber and author Margo Talbot will be at Café Books West on Sunday, June 26, from 1 to 3 p.m., to talk about the experiences that led to her memoir, All That Glitters: A Climber's Journey Through Addiction and Recovery.
Talbot spent 23 years skiing and climbing in the Canadian Rockies before deciding to travel to the coldest reaches of the planet, but her memoir also recounts how she overcame a childhood of neglect that led to decades of depression, addiction, breakdowns and, ultimately, arrest for trafficking.
"The only thing I had to hold onto that was captivating, that I was passionate about, was the sport of ice climbing," Talbot said, recalling the relief that nature's healing power offered her.
Describing her decades of personal difficulties as stark, out-of-control, and bleak, she tells how a particular "conversation with death" helped her turn the corner and begin to deal with "crippling bouts of depression."
So far, the reviews for All That Glitters have been unequivocally positive. Acclaimed author and climber Greg Child called it a "disarmingly frank self-portrait," and registered social worker Elaine Spencer calls it a "shining example of hope," with words that "literally sizzle from the pages to one's heart."
Ben Gadd, well-known for his Handbook of the Canadian Rockies, wrote, "It's one hell of a story."
"The glittering eye of the addict, the glittering gold of the drug runner, the glittering ice of the frozen waterfall: Any of these can kill," Gadd said. "How did Margo Talbot survive such fatal attractions?"
Today, Talbot says her goal is to experience the wildest places on Earth.
Her work is published by Sono Nis Press, in Winlaw, who take on "a small number of high quality books each year," the publisher writes.
Talbot is now in her 40s and lives in the B.C. Interior. Café Books recommends the event to anyone who loves the great outdoors, has a passion for climbing, or simply enjoys an inspiring story. It's free and refreshments will be served.
