The memoir 'A Light Through the Cracks' by Beth Rodden offers an intimate and unflinching look at her journey of self-discovery and the challenges she faced as a professional female climber in the early 2000s. Rodden's raw honesty about her experiences, including her kidnapping, divorce, and struggles with sexism in the sport, makes for a compelling and thought-provoking read.
Beth Rodden's memoir, 'A Light Through the Cracks,' is a deeply personal and honest account of her life as a professional climber. The book is divided into three parts, covering her early years, her marriage and climbing achievements with Tommy Caldwell, and her journey after their divorce. Rodden's writing is visceral and unflinching, offering a raw look at her emotions and experiences. She shares her struggles with the sexism prevalent in the climbing community during the early 2000s, the pressure to perform, and the isolation she felt after her divorce. Her ability to reflect on her own flaws and the impact of her experiences on her mental state makes the memoir compelling. Rodden's descriptions of her climbing achievements, such as her ascent of 'Meltdown,' are vivid and immersive, transporting the reader to the wall with her. The memoir also highlights her advocacy work and her shift towards forming strong bonds with other female climbers, showcasing the potential for change in the sport.
Quick quotes
Rodden writes: 'The blood had dried and it was stuck to my pubic hair. Again, I felt like a child in my body, thinking there was something I should have known or done differently … I was standing on one side of a dark-green cloth divider in the middle of a military base thinking I was going to have to employ the rip-off-the-Band-Aid strategy because I couldn’t bear the thought of slowly peeling away each inch.
I’d count up my Rock and Ice covers, setting my total against the handful of other female climbers, I always, back then, saw as my competition for a seat at the boys’ table. Would this climb get me another cover? Would it get me a raise?
I took two deep breaths and then reached up with my right hand to the worst hold on the route. It was a quarter of a finger pad deep…I weighted my right fingertip and pulled with my arms. As I reached up I had only a second before my body would start to succumb to gravity and pull me backward, off the wall.