Norman Ollestad

Set in the aftermath of a harrowing plane crash, this is the true story of one young boy's fight for survival in nature's most treacherous conditions.

A riveting real-life survival adventure reminiscent of Hatchet, this astounding true story from two New York Times-bestselling authors chronicles how a California sixth grader survived a deadly mountainside plane crash during a snowstorm. "Inspirational, propulsive, and unforgettable. This one leaves a mark." --Lamar Giles, author of The Getaway and Ruin Road Eleven-year-old Norman Ollestad is no stranger to extreme situations. Whether it's surfing big swells off Topanga Beach or skiing in a blizzard, he has braved one adrenaline-rush adventure after another, pushed by his thrill-seeking father to realize that "anything's possible." And with Dad by his side, sometimes Norman believes him. That motto is put to the ultimate test when the small plane Norman and his dad are aboard is engulfed by a snowstorm and crashes in the San Gabriel Mountains--with deadly consequences. Struggling in and out of lucidity, haunted by the voices and memories from difficult moments in his past, Norman must decide what to do while trapped eight thousand feet above sea level, facing dangers unlike any he has encountered before. Inspired by the harrowing true childhood experience of author Norman Ollestad, this astonishing, action-packed story, co-written with Brendan Kiely, is about fear, survival, and the complicated forces--and people--that shape us. Fast-paced and unputdownable, Sole Survivor is the perfect read for fans of Dusti Bowling's The Canyon's Edge, Megan E. Freeman's Alone, and the I Survived series.

French Girl with Mother is a provocative, propulsive thriller that marries the spirit of James Salter with a hint of Patricia Highsmith and the velocity of The Art Forger. Nathan is a young artist traveling across Europe in search of the emotional fire that has been missing from his work. He's been deemed by his mentors and critics as technically skillful but uninspired --criticisms he fears to be true. On a Paris street, he witnesses the volatile breakup of a young French woman and her beau. Nathan pursues a meeting with the woman and it very quickly becomes evident that her provocative charisma and scathing beauty just may conjure the electricity he has been seeking for his work. So when the woman invites him to her parents' crumbling, centuries-old chateau in the country to allow him to sketch her, he accepts, knowing that this proposition is both ill advised and thrilling. Once enveloped by this isolated estate, a door opens to a world Nathan is not prepared for. The arrival of the young woman's family--her mother, a volatile, voracious former ballerina, her father, a mysterious businessman with secrets of his own, and her uncle, who might be trafficking in art forgeries.

"Finely wrought; Ollestad builds a delicate tension between the characters, exposing their raw desire and exploring the concept of artistic inspiration... A quietly tense and absorbing read."  Kirkus French Girl with Mother is a provocative, propulsive thriller that marries the spirit of James Salter with a hint of Patricia Highsmith and the velocity of The Art Forger. Nathan is a young artist traveling across Europe in search of the emotional fire that has been missing from his work. He's been deemed by his mentors and critics as technically skillful but uninspired  criticisms he fears to be true. On a Paris street, he witnesses the volatile breakup of a young French woman and her beau. Nathan pursues a meeting with the woman and it very quickly becomes evident that her provocative charisma and scathing beauty just may conjure the electricity he has been seeking for his work. So when the woman invites him to her parents' crumbling, centuries-old chateau in the country to allow him to sketch her, he accepts, knowing that this proposition is both ill advised and thrilling. Once enveloped by this isolated estate, a door opens to a world Nathan is not prepared for. The arrival of the young woman's family her mother, a volatile, voracious former ballerina, her father, a mysterious businessman with secrets of his own, and her uncle, who might be trafficking in art forgeries.

Destined to stand with other classic true stories of man against nature--Into Thin Air and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer; Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm--Crazy for the Storm is a literary triumph. Norman Olstead's New York Times bestselling memoir is the story of the harrowing plane crash the author miraculously survived at age eleven, framed by the moving tale of his complicated relationship with his charismatic, adrenaline-addicted father. "A heart-stopping story beautifully told.... Norman Olstead has written a book that may well be read for generations." --Russell Banks"Breathtaking.... Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night." --Washington Post Book World

"Breathtaking.... Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night."--Washington Post Book World Norman Olstead's New York Times bestselling memoir Crazy for the Storm is the story of the harrowing plane crash the author miraculously survived at age eleven, framed by the moving tale of his complicated relationship with his charismatic, adrenaline-addicted father. Destined to stand with other classic true stories of man against nature--Into Thin Air and Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer; Sebastian Junger's The Perfect Storm--it is a literary triumph that novelist Russell Banks (Affliction) calls, "A heart-stopping story beautifully told.... Norman Olstead has written a book that may well be read for generations."