Maria Coffey Book order (chronological)

A compelling memoir about opting for adventure instead of motherhood, and the lifelong outcomes of that choice. Instead captures Maria Coffey’s adventurous life through her biggest decisions along the way, including the decision not to have children. It’s a vivid travelogue, a love story, and a personal commentary on the risks and rewards of choosing unconventional paths. After two traumatic experiences during her twenties – a near-drowning in Morocco and her boyfriend’s death on Mount Everest – Maria determines to seize every day and explore the world. Mixed with her desire for freedom is a new fear of loss, which convinces her against parenthood. She falls in love with Dag, who shares her dreams, and they begin creating a life of adventure. There is one he wants children and thinks they could include them in their wild exploits. Instead follows Maria’s trajectory as she shares her guilt-ridden relationship with her Irish Catholic mother; her baby debates with Dag in unlikely situations, like kayaking through a storm; the doubts that rear up in remote cultures where her childfree choice is unfathomable; and how children eventually – and surprisingly – come into her life. An adventure story with a unique twist, Instead tackles the universal themes of choice and consequence, agency versus fate. It is a must read for anyone curious about stepping off the beaten track, and a testament to the power of being open to the unexpected.

Without risk, mountaineers argue, there is no self-knowledge from pushing life to its extremes. But when tragedy strikes, what becomes of those left behind? What drives anyone to invest in a future with a high-altitude risk-taker? Such questions have often been taboo in the mountaineering community. Now, the spouses, parents, and children of renowned climbers speak out about the darker side of adventure. Maria Coffey faced one of mountaineering's harshest realities when her partner, Joe Tasker, disappeared on Everest in 1982. In her work, she offers an intimate look at the beauty, passion, and devastation intertwined with this obsession. Through interviews with top climbers and their families—such as Jim Wickwire, Conrad Anker, Lynn Hill, and others—Coffey delves into what drives individuals to dedicate their lives to the mountains. She questions why society continues to celebrate their exploits despite the numerous tragedies. With an insider's perspective, Coffey reveals the emotional toll of loving those who pursue such perilous paths, highlighting the exhilarating highs, inevitable lows, stress of separations, and the lives shattered by climbing accidents. This poignant exploration exposes the profound personal costs of extreme adventure.

Vom Mekong-Delta im Süden bis zum Roten Fluss im Norden bereist Maria Coffey drei Monate lang vor allem die Küste Vietnams, oft mit dem Boot oder dem Fahrrad. Tradition und Moderne, Kriegstrauma und Alltag: die sensible Schilderung eines Landes im Umbruch.

Spannender Bericht über die Abenteuerreise eines Ehepaares im Faltkajak: Umrundung der Salomoninseln, Befahrung des Oberlaufs des Ganges und Durchquerung des Malawisees.