Facing the Fall Line

In skiing, "facing the fall line" means confronting the steepest descent to maintain balance, control, and momentum. For entrepreneur Irene Madrid, this powerful technique was the essential guide for surviving the most challenging run of her life: four decades of marriage to a pervasive narcissist.

Irene built an enviable life and a formidable career, co-founding five thriving swim schools over forty-seven years. Her external success, however, masked an internal crucible. Her marriage was defined by the insidious patterns of her husband's grandiosity, emotional unavailability, and deep lack of empathy. Behind the scenes, her life was a continuous slope of emotional abuse, subtle manipulation, and devastating infidelity. Irene was told she was "stupid and unfit for social settings," eroding her self-worth while she simultaneously ran a successful business.

The challenge reached its peak-the "Double Black Diamond"-when her husband initiated a devastating, calculated plot to steal the very businesses she helped create. Forced to confront the total wreckage of her marriage and fight a final, brutal battle, Irene channeled the resilience and grit forged in a challenging childhood into monumental personal actions.

Facing the Fall Line is Irene Madrid's unvarnished memoir, detailing her journey from bewildering pain to complete autonomy. She provides an essential, unflinching look at narcissistic abuse, the emotional toll it exacts, and the critical steps she took to dismantle the control and reclaim her financial and personal identity.

This book is more than a story of survival; it is a vital roadmap for thriving. Through Irene's experience, you will learn how to plant your own strong pole, navigate your toughest slopes, and emerge into a life that is whole, peaceful, and finally, completely your own.