by Jeff Goodell
First published 1900
Water bursts through the mine wall, trapping nine Pennsylvania coal miners in a flooded underground maze. The men huddle in a small air pocket as frigid water rises around them in the honeycomb of coal veins. Above ground, rescue teams race against time, but their special drill bit snaps, halting progress for fourteen crucial hours. The miners write farewell letters to their families and seal them in a lunch bucket, unsure if they will survive. In complete darkness, standing in freezing water, they experience waves of hope and despair that mirror the emotions of their rescuers above. The rescue effort captivates the entire nation as setbacks alternate with breakthroughs. Goodell tells the complete story of how these ordinary men and their families found the strength to endure an extraordinary test of survival.
Genres: drama, survival, adventure, non-fiction
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: against-the-odds, race-against-time
Setting: Pennsylvania
Period: 21st-century
228 pages · Mass Market Paperback · Hyperion