If you think that surviving an airplane crash will get you a free pass for the rest of your life, think again.

When young Annette Herfkens, one of the few female international bond traders on Wall Street and her fiancé boarded Vietnam Airlines flight 474 in Ho Chi Minh City, they were just two passengers headed for a romantic getaway, unaware of the fateful moment that would shatter their dreams forever. The plane crashed into a mountaintop, leaving Annette trapped in the Vietnamese jungle as the sole survivor. What followed was an incredible story of survival, mystery and higher spirit.

In this unflinching tale of life, Annette describes how she survived eight days alone in the jungle with only rainwater to sustain her. Thirteen years after the crash, Annette returned to Vietnam to climb the mountain, shedding new light on mysteries that had lingered since the crash. Through flashbacks Annette reveals how she has used the lessons learned in the Vietnamese jungle to celebrate her autistic son in the jungle of New York’s Upper East Side.

This inspiring book breaks as many boundaries as the protagonist herself. A keen observer, Annette writes with frank and acerbic humor about loss, love, resilience, and spirituality in a fresh, down-to-earth manner. Her book gives us the ultimate insight into mind and heart of a true survivor.