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  • North of Normal

  • A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both
  • Written by: Cea Sunrise Person
  • Narrated by: Cea Sunrise Person
  • Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (322 ratings)

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North of Normal

Written by: Cea Sunrise Person
Narrated by: Cea Sunrise Person
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Publisher's Summary

Sex, drugs, and...bug stew? In the vein of The Glass Castle and Wild, Cea Sunrise Person's compelling memoir of a childhood spent with her dysfunctional counter-culture family in the Canadian wilderness - a searing story of physical, emotional, and psychological survival.

In the late 1960s, riding the crest of the counterculture movement, Cea's family left a comfortable existence in California to live off the land in the Canadian wilderness. But unlike most commune dwellers of the time, the Persons weren't trying to build a new society - they wanted to escape civilization altogether. Led by Cea's grandfather Dick, they lived a pot-smoking, free-loving, clothing-optional life under a canvas tipi without running water, electricity, or heat for the bitter winters.

Living out her grandparents' dream with her teenage mother Michelle, young Cea knew little of the world beyond her forest. She spent her summers playing nude in the meadow and her winters snowshoeing behind the grandfather she idolized. Despite fierce storms, food shortages, and the occasional drug-and-sex-infused party for visitors, it seemed to be a mostly happy existence. For Michelle, however, now long separated from Cea's father, there was one crucial element missing: a man. When Cea was five, Michelle took her on the road with a new boyfriend. As the trio set upon a series of ill-fated adventures, Cea began to question both her highly unusual world and the hedonistic woman at the centre of it - questions that eventually evolved into an all-consuming search for a more normal life. Finally, in her early teens, Cea realized she would have to make a choice as drastic as the one her grandparents once had in order to save herself.

While a successful international modeling career offered her a way out of the wilderness, Cea discovered that this new world was in its own way daunting and full of challenges. North of Normal is Cea's funny, shocking, heartbreaking, and triumphant tale of self-discovery and acceptance, adversity, and strength that will leave no listener unmoved.

©2014 Cea Sunrise Person (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

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Wow! Amazing true story.

This book will hook you from the beginning. It is so raw and intense. I grew up in a home much the same except I had 2 alcoholic parents that stayed together almost to the end. Cea is an amazing writer, don’t miss out on this one.

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Just wow!

I couldn't stop listening...this book was wild! thank you for sharing your life with us!

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An unbelievable childhood !

This book was shocking, sad, beautiful, horrible, and wonderful!
Cea's a survivor of her life!

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highly recommend

if you enjoyed educated this book is for you. I am just about to start cea's second memoir.

highly recommend this book!

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What an incredible journey

I am grateful that Cea wrote and published this memoir.
I look forward to listening to the next book.

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Very north of normal

What a story! We are doing it for a book club read and there is a lot of discussion material in this one! As a mother it's tough in some spots but all in, a good memoir!

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Deep and Emotional

thank you Cea Sunrise Person, your memoir has been he always Tori it went teeth to Mart in my emotions and my thoughts. You are brave and brilliant , intelligent send an absolutely amazing writer as well as the narration of course full of emotion and yet done with such insight. this is the best book I've ever listened to thank you and I will read the next one as well I look forward to it!!

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Outstanding book

This is a great story, well written and performed by the author Cea Sunrise Person. She really brings to life the spirit of the times (the 70’s) with her unconventional, pot-smoking , promiscuous who took her to live in the wilderness of Canada’s north. Some reviewers say the language is too graphic snd the mother was just awful but there is much more nuance to this story than that. Cea Person is a courageous, intelligent woman who wrote from her heart and didn’t shy away from the tough stuff. She didn’t sugarcoat it and for me it made her story very authentic and real. I loved the book and am now going to read her next book. Her narration, which isn’t that of a professional narrator, adds to the authenticity of the book and has its own charm to listen to. I didn’t want it to end, that’s how much I enjoyed this book.

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loved it

Fascinating tale, emotionally charged content told in a way that didn't cause an upset feeling. Even comical, in parts. Narration is pleasant to listen to. Bravo, Cea, on everything.

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Couldn't put it down!

hands down one of the most interesting and intriguing books I've ever dove into. I couldn't stop listening, there were so many honest moments and times where you could feel Cea's pain. She did a great job writing and sharing her story! Thank you for sharing.

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