Product Description

One day after reading a book about a wilderness adventurer, David Pierce’s fifteen-year-old daughter Chera announced that she wanted to climb a mountain. What David heard behind that wish was a bold declaration: “I’m growing up, Dad–what are you going to do about it?”

A few weeks later they bought matching backpacks.

Over a three-year period they climbed five mountains and ran in two marathons. Together they suffered sore muscles, bitter cold, sprung knees, shin splints, and broken spirits. But they also reveled in blazing sunsets, glissaded on a glacier, and celebrated numerous victories great and small. And in the process, they built an unshakable father-daughter bond that will withstand the tests of time.

As you read this wise, warmhearted, and often hilarious story of a daughter’s (and a father’s) coming of age, you’ll discover ways you too can create strong, loving relationships with the important people in your life, as you make your way through the valleys and over the summits of life together.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #693657 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-17
• Released on: 2009-03-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780307444684
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
“Don’t Let Me Go drew me in with David’s flowing prose and honest descriptions (especially about himself). David and Chera’s story shows how extraordinary father-daughter relationships are, whether the surroundings are as mundane as the front yard or spectacular as a mountain peak. He demonstrates how every father-daughter journey can lead to summits of new understanding, awareness and joy for dads and stepdads.”
–Joe Kelly, author of Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter and The Dads & Daughters Togetherness Guide: 54 Fun Activities to Help Build a Great Relationship

“As a mother of three teenagers, ages, 16, 17 and 18, Don’t Let Me Go came at just the right time in my life…in our lives. Many ‘parenting’ books preach to the mind, story always reaches to the heart. At this point in my journey as a mother, I need a gentle nudge, a hope-filled example, tender encouragement for this rewarding, yet often treacherous climb. I am grateful for the privilege of discovering such trustworthy guides as David and Chera Pierce.”
–Lisa Whelchel, author of the bestseller Creative Correction, Taking Care of the ‘Me’ in Mommy and The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me

“David Pierce’s accounts of the adventures he took with his daughter are as refreshing, funny and exhilarating to read as the actual activities were challenging and strenuous. Each chapter is its own fast-paced expedition; each page a quick step of a fantastic journey. If I’m ever on a path up a mountain with either of my daughters — or heading any place else, for that matter — I hope I run into David Pierce, who can help show me the way.”
–Dean Batali, Television Writer (That 70s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

“David Piece and his dau...

Review
“Don’t Let Me Go drew me in with David’s flowing prose and honest descriptions (especially about himself). David and Chera’s story shows how extraordinary father-daughter relationships are, whether the surroundings are as mundane as the front yard or spectacular as a mountain peak. He demonstrates how every father-daughter journey can lead to summits of new understanding, awareness and joy for dads and stepdads.”
–Joe Kelly, author of Dads and Daughters: How to Inspire, Understand, and Support Your Daughter and The Dads & Daughters Togetherness Guide: 54 Fun Activities to Help Build a Great Relationship

“As a mother of three teenagers, ages, 16, 17 and 18, Don’t Let Me Go came at just the right time in my life…in our lives. Many ‘parenting’ books preach to the mind, story always reaches to the heart. At this point in my journey as a mother, I need a gentle nudge, a hope-filled example, tender encouragement for this rewarding, yet often treacherous climb. I am grateful for the privilege of discovering such trustworthy guides as David and Chera Pierce.”
–Lisa Whelchel, author of the bestseller Creative Correction, Taking Care of the ‘Me’ in Mommy and The Facts of Life and Other Lessons My Father Taught Me

“David Pierce’s accounts of the adventures he took with his daughter are as refreshing, funny and exhilarating to read as the actual activities were challenging and strenuous. Each chapter is its own fast-paced expedition; each page a quick step of a fantastic journey. If I’m ever on a path up a mountain with either of my daughters — or heading any place else, for that matter — I hope I run into David Pierce, who can help show me the way.”
–Dean Batali, Television Writer (That 70s Show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

“David Piece and his daughter climbed more than one mountain. The physical struggle of conquering a physical mountain pales in comparison to the mountains of faith, transparency, honesty, devotion, and forgiveness they each scaled. This gut-honest narrative of parental love and vulnerability evokes tears and laughs while providing valuable insights on how to be a positive influence on young people.”
–Dr. Dennis E. Hensley, author of How to Stop Living for the Applause

“The common ‘push me, pull you’ of parenting is joyously explored in David Pierce’s new memoir of mountain climbing with his daughter in Don’t Let Me Go. Pierce is the rare author and exemplary father who can combine warm humor with paternal anxiety. His story of reaching for the sky from the tallest peaks in America allows readers insight into what it means to hold tight to a teenage daughter’s hand–and when to let go.”
–Randy O’Brien, author of veteran book reviewer and journalist, author of the critically-acclaimed novel Judge Fogg

“I fell in love with the writing style of David Pierce over 30 years ago — when he wrote, ‘Do you wanna go steady?’ on a note and passed it to me in the 11th grade. So, I married him. Our journey together has been filled with as many ups and downs as there are switchbacks on Mt. Rainier. One thing we have never wavered on is our devotion to our children. They have always taught us more about ourselves than any wisdom we could instill in them. And I am so excited to have you read along and see for yourselves what God teaches all His children on the mountaintops and in the deepest valleys of our lives.”
–Chonda Pierce, comedienne, author, and recording artist

About the Author
David W. Pierce is the co-author of two children’s books with his wife, popular Christian comedienne Chonda Pierce, and a memoir, Salvage. He has written ten short stories appearing in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. A professor of English at Middle Tennessee State University, he also teaches at Taylor University in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. David and Chonda and their family live in Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Lovely Story
This is a lovely story about a father and daughter's relationship. Chera wanted to climb a mountain and she wanted her father to go with her. Their journey was the begining of a series of adventures and challenges that changed both of them forever. They climbed mountains, they ran in marathons, and along the way they learned that even when you don't win, you gain a new undersanding of yourself and of God. As they faced challenges together, they discovered a new realization of the majesty of God's creation, and found a new sense of personal humility. Don't Let Me Go is the story about a father and daughter and their experiences, but it goes even deeper. In some way it is the story of each of us, of the times we thought we couldn't go on, the times we failed, and yes, the times we won. David and Chera were changed forever by what they went through, and in reading their story, we can understand our own experiences a little better. Recommended

Fantastic story of a father's love and faith
Don't Let Me Go by David W. Pierce is a beautiful story of a father's quest to strengthen his relationship with his daughter so that he can learn to let go. When Chera Pierce was a little girl, her father, David, and she would play a game in the mirror in which she would interview The Man Who Lived On Top of a Volcano. When she turns 15, she asks her father to climb a mountain with her, and that journey brings both of them to meet that man for real. Pierce and his daughter run a series of marathons and climb several mountains, including Pike's Peak and Mount Rainier . They learn an amazing amount of lessons about each other, faith, and that while you only spend a short time on the summit, you spend far more time training and then traveling to get there. And any good journey will leave you changed forever. Pierce has a wicked sense of humor and portrays their travels with both humor and honesty. Runny noses, 30 mph winds, and blisters, they traveled through it all, and when they were through, Pierce was able to let his little girl go knowing and loving the woman she had become. This is a wonderfully told tale, especially for anyone with children.

A father-daughter relationship...
From the beginning of this book, I sensed that David and Chera have a special relationship, a very close relationship. When fifteen-year-old Chera asked to climb a mountain, David was reluctantly agreeable. Their first adventure would be to conquer Pikes Peak. Along the trail, Chera and David grew closer. Their next father-daughter adventure was to run a marathon. Over the next three-year period, they climbed five mountains and ran two marathons. Along their journey, they draw closer to each other and closer to God.
I was quickly caught up in Don't Let Me Go. David W. Pierce has a pleasant writing style. I felt as though I was sitting across the table from him, sharing a cup of coffee as he told me about their adventures. The story about the angel with the sunglasses was deeply touching. God does provide for our needs. Yes, I believe in angels.
David and Chera's adventures are not over--just beginning.