Crazy for the Storm — Norman Ollestad

New York Times Bestseller

One of Amazon's Ten Best Books of 2009

Starbucks Featured Summer Selection

Optioned by Warner Brothers for Film

www.normanollestad.com

“Breathtaking...A portrait of a father’s consuming love for his son, Crazy for the Storm will keep you up late into the night.”
—Washington Post Book World

“Tragic and exotic ... adrenaline-fueled excitement.” —The New York Times

“Riveting.” —Entertainment Weekly

"On February 19, 1979, I was in a plane crash with my father, his girlfriend Sandra, and the pilot of our chartered Cessna. Sandra was 30 years old. My dad was 43. I was 11. Just after sunrise, we slammed into a rugged 8,600-foot mountain engulfed in a blizzard. By the end of our nine-hour ordeal, I was the only survivor."
—Norman Ollestad

"This is a heart-stopping story beautifully told, an eleven-year-old boy’s story that deals with profound and challenging moral and philosophical issues. When does the quest for ecstasy become a danger-junkie’s kick? How does a good boy become a good man? How do you raise a child in a busted-up family? Norman Ollestad has written a book that may well be read for generations. It’s a book that fathers should give to their sons, but sons should give it to their fathers, too. And mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters—read it and weep for all the boys and men you have ever loved."
—Russell Banks

"Crazy for the Storm is an absolutely compelling book which I read in one long sitting. The fact that it’s true made me shudder, but then Norman Ollestad is a fine writer and every detail is convincing."
—Jim Harrison

"As much a thriller as a memoir. . . . Gorgeously written, perfectly controlled."
—Carolyn See

"Crazy for the Storm truly is extraordinary—an adventure story with a rich psychological foundation from an enormously talented author. Ollestad’s portraits are beautifully contradictory and complex—brutal, brave, and human—and the book is filled with wonderful dramatic moments. Crazy for the Storm is a powerful book. It deserves to be a bestseller."
—Lucinda Franks

Norman Ollestad studied creative writing at UCLA and attended UCLA Film School. He grew up on Topanga Beach in Malibu and now lives in Venice, California. He is the father of an eight-year-old son.