Unraveled: A Climber's Journey Through Darkness and Back

by Katie Brown

Overview

The Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature 2023
2023 Banff Mountain Book Award finalist in Mountain Literature

"As a teen phenomenon, Katie Brown raised the bar to a whole new level. Unraveled is an honest and bold recounting of how Katie was able to navigate the dark days of her childhood to become a world champion climber, mother, and amazing human being." —Lynn Hill, author of Climbing Free: My Life in the Vertical World

As a teenager in the 1990s, Katie Brown was one of climbing’s first "comp kids"—a young natural who, along with her peers, redefined the image of a strong and successful climber. After climbing for less than two years, Brown won her first junior national title. The next year she became the Junior World Champion at age 14 in Laval, France. In 1996 she won both the Rock Master—a prestigious international contest in Arco, Italy—and the esteemed X-Games. From 1996 on, Brown won every US Adult National that she entered, as well as a World Cup Title in France in 1999.

Yet even as she reigned on the podium, Brown felt her life begin to unravel. A quiet child, she struggled with a home life that was very different behind closed doors than it seemed on television. A fundamentalist version of Christianity was at the center of the household, and Brown fought to live according to rules that were strict, ever-changing, and irrational. Isolated and feeling hopeless, Brown latched onto food as something she could control. She quit competitive climbing and bounced in and out of the industry, eventually disappearing in her late twenties.

Now, more than two decades later, Brown is ready to share her story. Unraveled answers the question thousands of fans worldwide have wondered: "What ever happened to Katie Brown?"

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781680515466
Publisher:	Mountaineers Books, The
Publication date:	10/06/2022
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Recognized as one of the greatest female rock climbers in history, Katie Brown began climbing at age 12 and soon dominated national and international competitions. She mastered the discipline of climbing hard outdoor sport routes quickly, often on the first try. Retired from climbing, Brown is a writer, make-up artist, and mom. Find her on Instagram @katiebrownclimbs.

Table of Contents

A Note to the Reader 9

Prologue 11

Chapter 1 Ketchup 17

Chapter 2 How It Started 27

Chapter 3 Writing It Down 37

Chapter 4 Eating 46

Chapter 5 A Perfect Track Record 54

Chapter 6 Rock Masters 65

Chapter 7 In Isolation 73

Chapter 8 My Three-Ring Circus 81

Chapter 9 To Keep the Heart from Stopping 87

Chapter 10 God Will Provide 93

Chapter 11 Watching the Stars 100

Chapter 12 Birmingham 108

Chapter 13 Fed to the Wolves 118

Chapter 14 The Road Trip 128

Chapter 15 Adulthood 134

Chapter 16 Hydrophobia 145

Chapter 17 Dancing Under the Stars 151

Chapter 18 College Girl 159

Chapter 19 How to Have a Life 164

Chapter 20 Firsts 173

Chapter 21 How to Say No 180

Chapter 22 What Guys Want 193

Chapter 23 The Leaning Tower 202

Chapter 24 The Obiter 206

Chapter 25 Just Start Driving 214

Chapter 26 Half Dome 222

Chapter 27 As Far Away as I Could Get 228

Chapter 28 One Year 235

Epilogue 241

Afterword 243

Acknowledgments 251

Editorial Reviews

Tensions lie at the heart of Unraveled, Katie Brown…explores these tensions in an unapologetic way all the while staying close to events as they were experienced at the time.

Gripped Magazine - Tom Valis

Katie Brown's book Unraveled broke my heart. I'm glad I read it.

Climbing Magazine - Delaney Miller

Honest and raw.

Leslie Hsu Ohn Alpine Journal

Unraveled takes on a summit of its own. Through raw vulnerability and honesty, Katie Brown inspires the world of climbing in this riveting page turner. This coming-of-age memoir is a must-read.

professional climber and founder of SEND bars - Sasha DiGiulian