Chasing Ice
Mothering Teens, Pursuing Dreams and Learning to Let Go
In her second book, Emma finds herself on the shore of parallel futures: rediscovering who she is as her daughters prepare to fly the nest, and finally daring to chase the wildest dream she has ever had: Antarctica.
As a former air traffic controller, she is captivated when an opportunity arises to work as a radio operator in Antarctica, epitomising the fear, excitement and sense of possibility at being on the threshold of this next phase of life.
Chasing Ice follows the author's growing realisation that freedom is. no longer theoretical, it's arriving...and fast. This is a memoir about the courage it takes to let your children go, the courage it takes to claim a life of your own, and the messy, glorious, not-giving-a-damn energy that comes when a woman finally stops apologising for wanting more.
Warm, hilarious and bursting with love, Chasing Ice is an ode to motherhood, a celebration of teenage irreverence, a gripping adventure and a study of the exquisite heartache peculiar to letting go.
Excerpt:
‘As I watch you on the beach, on the cusp of adulthood in that magical and exquisitely painful state of transition between what you were and what you will become, I want you to know how amazing you are. You’re at the point in your life where you sometimes still crawl into my bed at night because you’re scared of death and can’t comprehend the
magnitude of your existence on this earth; whilst on other nights you sneak in late, slightly drunk telling me how much you love me, and asking for fried chicken - although you are a vegetarian. Stuck between beer and sweets. Where the growth of your limbs and shaping of your body are happening in and around you, and you don’t have the slightest grasp of your astonishing beauty, both inside and out.’
Emma Says:
‘This book comes from a truly special part of my being, from the mother place. It’s unique in that I am writing it in real time as I live the experience, building up to the point of separation. I marvel at witnessing the transition to adulthood with all of its pain, drama, intensity and hilarity, and I see a thousand lifetimes reflected back at me in the maelstrom. It’s the greatest privilege of my life to be part of the storm, and I cannot wait to experience what is on the other side.’