Deep Down Dark
The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
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4.5 • 211 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Deep Down Dark is the novel that inspired the film The 33 starring Lou Diamond Phillips, Cote de Pablo and Antonio Banderas.
When the San José mine collapsed outside of Copiapó, Chile, in August 2010, it trapped thirty-three miners beneath thousands of feet of rock for a record-breaking sixty-nine days. After the disaster, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Héctor Tobar received exclusive access to the miners and their tales, and in Deep Down Dark, he brings them to haunting, visceral life. We learn what it was like to be imprisoned inside a mountain, understand the horror of being slowly consumed by hunger, and experience the awe of working in such a place-underground passages filled with danger and that often felt alive. A masterwork of narrative journalism and a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit, The 33: Deep Down Dark captures the profound ways in which the lives of everyone involved in the catastrophe were forever changed.
A Finalist for a National Book Critics Circle Award
A Finalist for a Los Angeles Times Book Prize
A New York Times Book Review Notable Book
Selected for NPR's Morning Edition Book Club
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and novelist Tobar (The Barbarian Nurseries) presents the riveting story of the 33 men who spent 69 days trapped more than 2,000 feet underground in Chile's San Jos Mine in 2010. Noting that the abundance of minerals under the hills of the Atacama desert drew workers from all corners of Chile, Tobar who was granted exclusive access to the miners and their families compassionately recounts the miners' personal histories, experiences during the 17 days they were without outside contact, extended rescue, and the drama above ground with the families living near the mine in their makeshift "Camp Esperanza," mingling with government ministers, NASA advisors, engineers, mechanics, and drillers. Particularly moving is the reenactment of the first 17 days when the "33" banded together, drinking dirty water used to cool off the mine's drilling systems and sharing their meager food supplies. Feeling as though "they are living inside a Bible parable," the men keep their hopes up through prayer, and some gravitate toward particular roles: the pastor, the chronicler, the unofficial spokesman. Tobar vividly narrates the miners' lives post-rescue as they come to terms with their life-changing experience and the media frenzy surrounding it. Rich in local color, this is a sensitive, suspenseful rendering of a legendary story.
Customer Reviews
Excellent Reading
Remember watching the rescue on TV. This book took us behind the scenes and the years after. Would like to have seen a map of the mine included.
Compelling and Illuminating.
This book sheds light not only on the events that occurred in the Chilean mining accident, but also into the psyche of the men trapped inside. The book is a spiritual journey of survival and will readjust your perspective once finished.
Deep Down Dark
What a phenomenal story of the 33 Chilean miners who were trapped underground for 69 days. This book was chosen for our book group.
It was so inspiring to read about these ordinary people who survived 2,200 feet below ground through their teamwork, faith, and the extraordinary people who worked above ground
to rescue them.