North of Normal
A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both
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North of Normal
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Narrated by:
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Cea Sunrise Person
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Written by:
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Cea Sunrise Person
About this listen
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 PublishersFeatured Article: Canadian Voice Narrators That You Need to Listen to
Discover the voices and stories of Canada with this list of Canadian narrators and authors who are bringing Canadian tales to life in these incredible audiobooks.
What listeners say about North of Normal
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Laurie
- 2023-02-09
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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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-04-27
Just wow!
I couldn't stop listening...this book was wild! thank you for sharing your life with us!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- LKal
- 2020-04-23
An unbelievable childhood !
This book was shocking, sad, beautiful, horrible, and wonderful!
Cea's a survivor of her life!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Lise
- 2023-03-29
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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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jennifer Henry
- 2023-05-08
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- DEBRA
- 2023-04-05
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 2020-10-13
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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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Carolyn Cooper-McOuatt
- 2020-02-16
Thank You
This book has been written from a place of a gracious heart. I appreciate the authors courage and ability to hold the vision for good in her life regardless of the obstacles she faced. Her love for self inspires me greatly.
Thank you for digging deep and sharing your story with us🙏
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2019-11-19
Couldnt stop listening to it
Especially enjoyed the author narrativing her book as it added more "punch" to it. Very good, well written, you feel like you know the characters. Can be triggering at times depending on your own life issues from childhood but well worth listening to
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- Leanne Fournier
- 2020-01-09
What a life
Cea Sunrise Person's recounting of her wild upbringing awakens the spirit for freedom and adventure at the same time it makes one cry out for calm and normalcy. Pearson appears to have risen from her unusual and uncertain early life to achieve her dreams. All with bravery and hope. Bravo!
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