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The Chair and the Valley: A Memoir of Trauma, Healing, and the Outdoors Audiobook
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Publisher Description
An incredible memoir about one man's journey to heal from trauma through chosen family, friendship, and nature.
AN OPEN FIELD PUBLICATION FROM MARIA SHRIVER
Banning Lyon was an average 15-year-old, living in Dallas, TX. He enjoyed skateboarding, listening to punk rock, and even had a part-time job. But in January 1987 his life quickly changed after a school guidance counselor falsely believed he was suicidal after giving away his skateboard. Days later he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital, and what he was told would be a two-week stay turned into 353 days that would change his life forever.
Banning takes readers through his fraught relationship with his family, the mistreatment he suffered at the hospital, the lawsuit against the owners of the facility, and his desire to make sense of what happened to him. We witness Banning navigate the difficult landscape of trauma and his daily battle to live a normal life. After years of highs and lows that include being adopted by his attorney and mentor, falling in love and grieving the death of his fiancée, and being sued by the same doctors who mistreated him, Banning decides to take control of his life and finds hope in the backcountry of Yosemite National Park, where he discovers new purpose in being a backpacking guide. Through friendship, nature, and eventually giving therapy another chance, Banning summons the courage to keep moving forward.
The Chair and The Valley is a raw, gut-wrenching, and amazing story about healing from trauma and starting over. It is a exploration of the importance of chosen family, the restorative power of nature, and the strength it takes to build a new life in the face of fear and doubt.
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"“Banning Lyon’s deep, dark and beautifully written debut memoir offers a brave expose of a corrupt psychiatric hospital chain, a poignant testament to the power of human resilience and a lyrical depiction of how nature – and love — can heal the wounded heart."
— Susan Shapiro, NYT bestselling author of The Forgiveness Tour and American Shield
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What a beautiful, challenging, difficult, and ultimately empowering book. It's impossible to read The Chair and the Valley without feeling moved.
— Chris Guillebeau, author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The Art of Non-Conformity -
What a beautiful, challenging, difficult, and ultimately empowering book. It's impossible to read The Chair and the Valley without feeling moved.
— Chris Guillebeau, author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The Art of Non-Conformity -
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What a beautiful, challenging, difficult, and ultimately empowering book. It's impossible to read The Chair and the Valley without feeling moved.
— Chris Guillebeau, author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The Art of Non-Conformity -
The Chair and the Valley is an engaging and aching memoir of family catastrophe, misuse of mental health care, loss, and redemption.
— Stephen Fried, best-selling author of RUSH and Thing of Beauty, co-author of A Common Struggle and Profiles in Mental Health Courage. -
"A profoundly inspiring story for anyone seeking to conquer their own obstacles. With remarkable insight and generosity, Banning navigates readers through trauma, triumph, and the intricate steps in-between.
— Nabil Ayers, author of My Life in the Sunshine -
A heartfelt memoir and an urgent demand for higher standards of juvenile mental health care.
— Kirkus -
Lyon has written a survival story like no other. With positively outstanding storytelling, this is a book that cannot be put down.
— Booklist -
In this bracing, brilliant, and fury-inducing memoir.... Lyon has written a survival story like no other. With positively outstanding storytelling, this is a book that cannot be put down.
— Booklist -
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The Chair and the Valley is an engaging and aching memoir of family catastrophe, misuse of mental health care, loss, and redemption.
— Stephen Fried, best-selling author of RUSH and Thing of Beauty, co-author of A Common Struggle and Profiles in Mental Health Courage. -
"A profoundly inspiring story for anyone seeking to conquer their own obstacles. With remarkable insight and generosity, Banning navigates readers through trauma, triumph, and the intricate steps in-between.
— Nabil Ayers, author of My Life in the Sunshine -
Banning Lyon’s story is a testament to the power of found family and the hard-earned resilience that can come over time with love.
— Maria Shriver -
What a beautiful, challenging, difficult, and ultimately empowering book. It's impossible to read The Chair and the Valley without feeling moved.
— Chris Guillebeau, author of The Happiness of Pursuit and The Art of Non-Conformity
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About the Narrators
Maria Shriver in an award-winning journalist, bestselling author, and documentary film producer. A Georgetown University graduate, she was a correspondent for Dateline NBC, as well as coanchor for several other network news shows. Her book successes include Ten Things I wish I’d Known before I Went Out into the Real World, And One More Thing before You Go …, as well as multiple educational books for children. Former first lady of California by her marriage to then-governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, she remains active in many philanthropic projects and volunteer organizations.
Jonathan Eig is the New York Times bestselling author of several books, including Ali: A Life, Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig, and Opening Day: The Story of Jackie Robinson’s First Season. His books have been listed among the best books of the year by the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Sports Illustrated, and Slate. He is a former senior writer for the Wall Street Journal.