Things I Learned from Falling: A Memoir

Written by Claire Nelson

Narrated by Claire Nelson

The gripping first-person account of one woman's survival in Joshua Tree National Park against the odds.

""A vibrantly physical book""—The Guardian  •  ""Uplifting and brave""—Stylist  •   ""A riveting account of loneliness, anxiety and survival""—Cosmopolitan

In 2018, writer Claire Nelson made international headlines when she fell over 25 feet after wandering off the trail in a deserted corner of Joshua Tree. The fall shattered her pelvis, rendering her completely immobile. There Claire lay for the next four days, surrounded by boulders that muffled her cries for help, but exposed her to the relentless California sun above. Her rescuers had not expected to find her alive.

In THINGS I LEARNED FROM FALLING Claire tells not only her story of surviving, but also her story of falling. What led this successful thirty-something to a desert trail on the other side of the globe from her home where no one knew she would be that day? At once the unbelievable story of an impossible event, and the human journey of a young woman wrestling with the agitation of past and anxiety of future.  

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: May 25, 2021
• ISBN: 9780063070202

Claire Nelson

Claire Nelson is a New Zealand-born writer who has spent more than a decade in London working in food and travel journalism, including more than five years at Jamie Oliver’s magazine. She has also written for Elle, Food and Travel, Trek & Mountain, Lodestars Anthology, and Westjet Canada. Things I Learned from Falling is her first book. She lives in Toronto.

Reviews for Things I Learned from Falling

[akblanchard_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Food writer Claire Nelson had always prided herself on her independence and adventurous spirit. When she falls into a hole during an ill-fated day hike in Joshua Tree National Park, however, all of her prior assumptions are sorely tested. She survives, despite a fractured pelvis and internal injuries, through sheer determination and the ingenuous use of the few items she brought with her. Her ordeal teaches her gratitude for the friends and life she has, even if her reality is not always as perfect as a curated Instagram post.I found the sections of this book that covered Nelson's survival story hard to put down. Her memories of life in New Zealand and London were not quite as compelling. On the whole, however, I highly recommend this book.

[deaflower · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Claire tells a gripping tale of her life before the accident, the gruelling four days she spent alone in the desert, unable to move, and her ultimate rescue and survival. It is a great read that I could not put down. I would recommend this to anyone interested in tales of harrowing, death-defying, survival stories.