Trapped

Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert Marc Aronson

On August 5, 2010, an explosion in Chile's San Jose mine trapped 33 miners underground. It took people from around the world working together and a little more than two months to bring them up to the surface. Meanwhile, the world watched.

Aronson starts with the explosion and then backtracks to (very briefly) explain the role mining plays in history and our modern lives, the role in plays in the Chilean economy and the geology at work. We then alternate between the rescue efforts above ground and the survival efforts below.

A lot the above ground sections weren't new to me-- I remember following the story fairly closely as it unfolded. I loved the sections about life for the trapped miners. I knew parts of it, but learning how they stayed active (and why) and the area they built for themselves in order to stay alive and sane was amazing.

I don't know how many young readers tuned into this story as it unfolded. I think this book serves as an excellent accounting of events-- Aronson's writing is clear and the technical explanations are easy-to-understand, but it shines when discussing the emotions and people involved. As you probably remember, it's an amazing story and Aronson does it complete justice and brings it to life, and to a new audience, very nicely.


Book Provided by... my local library

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