It was only a matter of time before one of the most gripping real-life dramas of our time - the rescue of 33 Chilean miners trapped 700 metres underground - was turned into a book or a film. Jonathan Franklin took 127 days.
The Chilean correspondent for The Guardian in the UK breathlessly recounts the unfolding horror as "Los 33" first discovered they had been entombed in the collapsed San Jose mine in the Atacama desert.
He maintains a fast-paced momentum as he flits between the action above ground, where families waited expectantly to hear news of their loved ones, to the physical and emotional toll on the miners in what became an extraordinary psychological experiment as they battled to keep their spirits up.
Interwoven is an affectionate portrayal of the South American country while exposing its harsh working conditions and the daily hardships endured by its blue-collar workers. One billion viewers were rooting for the miners when their rescue was broadcast live in October and similarly, by the last page of this detailed account of events, it is impossible not to be uplifted by the tale of courage and humanity over adversity. A compelling read.
