A Respectful, Sobering Portrait of the April 27th Storms

Source: Author Website

What Stands in a Storm: Three Days in the Worst Superstorm to Hit the South's Tornado Alley by Kim Cross (Atria Books, 2015, 320pp.)

During a three-day period in late April 2011, a string of tornadoes tore across the Southeast and killed over 300 people. In this chilling chronicle of the disaster, the author pours her heart into describing the devastation wrought by the storms, and in the process, shows how so many lives were changed, some beyond all recognition. While there are some descriptions of death here that are rather graphic, the author refuses to cross the line into sensationalism, and instead focuses on the overall emotional effect these tornadoes had on the region. The work ends on a note that is sobering, but cautiously optimistic, making it a suitable read for those looking to commemorate victims of the April 27th storms.

A Candid, Cautiously Optimistic Survivor's Tale

Source: Author Website

Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free by Héctor Tobar (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014, 320pp.)

In Copiapó, Chile on August 5, 2010, the men of the A Shift went down into the San Jose Mine to work, as usual. Hours later, the mine had collapsed, trapping thirty-three miners almost 2,300 feet underground. In an ironic twist of fate, one of these miners had already survived an earthquake and a tsunami. For another miner, August 5 marked his first day on the job. As the men’s families anxiously gathered outside the mine, the story made its way to the attention of both the local and world media. Covering events from the day of the incident, to its aftermath a few years later, Deep Down Dark gives an honest look at ordinary, flawed people—first, struggling to survive a disastrous situation, and afterwards, trying to survive the media onslaught that hounded them after their rescue. The story can be a bit slow at times and all too often, the miners themselves are hard to tell apart—but overall, it’s candid, cautiously optimistic survivor’s tale that’s worth checking out at least once.