The Climb of My Life: Scaling Mountains with a Borrowed Heart

Perkins and her husband have always led a life filled with mountain climbing and other athletic activities. Strong, active 30-year-old women rarely end up in hospital cardiac units, but when Perkins discovered she had contracted a viral infection that lodged in her heart, it soon became clear that substantial intervention was needed. She received a defibrillator implant, a pacemaker, numerous drugs and eventually a transplant. Perkins decided to live her post-transplant life to the fullest, scaling Mt. Fuji, the Matterhorn, Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Whitney in an effort to bring attention to the need for organ donors around the world. While at times her writing can become treacly, there are some truly heartwarming moments. Much like Laura Evans's 1996 cancer survival memoir by the same title, Perkins's engaging tale provides valuable inspiration for others struggling to return to an active life after a dire illness. (Nov.)