A review by susiejo124
Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar
4.0
I purchased this book after I heard NPR's Fresh Air book reviewer Maureen Corrigan's review. I like adventure and survival stories so it was right up my alley. It does not 0disappoint. This is the story of the 33 miners who were trapped underground in the mine for 69 days in 2010. I remember following the rescue on the news and remember Saturday Night Live's joke about "Don't be a whiner, think of the miners". The author was the one chosen to tell the story (is there a movie in production?) The miners made a pact while still trapped in the mine that they would speak as one voice and tell the story as a team. The author, Hector Tobar, was selected to tell their story.
And boy, what a story it was. The author introduces the lives of the miners which was sometimes messy with affairs and family issues before the entrapment, the culture of mining in Chile, and desolation of the area. Once the miners were trapped and they slowly starved (they drank dirty water)it was captivating to learn how they worked together and dealt with the airless and humid conditions of the mine. They even joked about who would be the first to be eaten (which I thought was disrobing and, thankfully never happened. The book noted that the miners worked and prayed together and that it was only when they were close to being rescued that some of the miners began to lose their brotherly bond and at least one miner broke their agreement of speaking about telling about their experience together. The families of the miners who camped at the mine kept the focus on the rescue, holding the politicians and mining company accountable.
This was a quick, gripping read and I look forward to the movie. Tobar vividly described the events of the entrapment and how the miners dealt with returning to their families and lives when they were rescued. One miner even went back to mining!
And boy, what a story it was. The author introduces the lives of the miners which was sometimes messy with affairs and family issues before the entrapment, the culture of mining in Chile, and desolation of the area. Once the miners were trapped and they slowly starved (they drank dirty water)it was captivating to learn how they worked together and dealt with the airless and humid conditions of the mine. They even joked about who would be the first to be eaten (which I thought was disrobing and, thankfully never happened. The book noted that the miners worked and prayed together and that it was only when they were close to being rescued that some of the miners began to lose their brotherly bond and at least one miner broke their agreement of speaking about telling about their experience together. The families of the miners who camped at the mine kept the focus on the rescue, holding the politicians and mining company accountable.
This was a quick, gripping read and I look forward to the movie. Tobar vividly described the events of the entrapment and how the miners dealt with returning to their families and lives when they were rescued. One miner even went back to mining!