Then There Was No Mountain, 2003, Rowman Littlefield Publisher, is the firsthand account of a mother trying to reclaim her daughter from the devastation of substance abuse. In the process, Waterston finds she must confront her own equally formidable addictions: guilt, shame and denial. Then There Was No Mountain was selected by the Oregonian as one of the top ten books of the Northwest in 2003 and earned Ellen Waterston an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America in 2004. The book was a Foreword and WILLA finalist in memoir and was released in paperback in 2006. To order, contact your local bookstore or Amazon.com.
“Full of honesty, heartbreak, and revelation.” San Jose Mercury News
"The illuminating force of this book is Waterston’s pacing, her subtle detail of life on Oregon’s High Desert, her metaphors, and her choreography with the language. Perhaps the compelling frankness of Then There Was No Mountain is possible because after years of severe and troubled darkness, pages of honest emotion seem like steps of light.” The Oregonian
“The author is my sister. This is the main reason I know about this book, but not the main reason I strongly urge you to get it and read it. It is strong medicine.” Sam Waterston, actor
“Your book enlarges, is courageous, well written, and will no doubt help many others…” James Hollis, author of Under Saturn's Shadow, Finding Meaning In The Second Half Of Life
"I found (your book) well written, and very, very moving. Not just because I can relate but because it’s good.” James Galvin, author of The Meadow and Fencing The Sky
"I’ve been wanting to write you, for the longest time, to tell you what an extraordinarily profound effect your book, Then There Was No Mountain, has had on me and on my life.” Milton Higgins, Flagstaff, Arizona
"Then There Was No Mountain is thoughtful, reflective, lyrical in spots, and thoroughly engaging. I had seldom considered the drug problem from the parent's point of view." Jacques Rieux, Fort Collins, Colorado
"Set against vivid backgrounds of Western and New England landscapes, Then There Was No Mountain is an engrossing story, all the more because many readers will feel a pang of recognition at the hard issues facing contemporary parents, whether they come from tiny, wind-swept ranch towns or affluent east coast cities. Ellen Waterston has written a beautiful and compelling book." Craig Lesley, author of The Sky Fisherman and Storm Riders |
