Book Review Miracle in the Andes

Jake Hebert
Mr. B-G
Block: E

First Quarter Outside Reading Book Reviw

Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado. Crown Publishers New York, 2006. Genre: Non Fiction

Miracle in the Andes was written by one of the rugby members who survived the plane crash into the Andes Mountains. The Old Christians Rugby Club was traveling from Montevideo to Santiago, Chile to play an expedition match against a top Chilean squad. There were forty-five people aboard the plane. They were scheduled to fly nonstop to Santiago, a three and a half hour flight but a few hours into the trip there was bad weather and the plane had to land in Mendoza. They had to stay the night and the next day they left at 2:18 p.m. They were in the air for a while then things went bad. Everything happened so fast, there was a noise that was metal grinding and then Nando saw sky above him. He was torn form his seat with incredible force and was thrown forward into darkness and silence. For the next 72 days he fought to stay alive and to live to tell his story.
“Miracle in the Andes is an astonishing account of an unimaginable ordeal. In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for 72 days after having been given up for dead. If you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down.” —Jon Krakauer, author of Under the Banner of Heaven, Into Thin Air, and Into the Wild
Nando was thrown forward from the incredible force into the darkness and silence. Nando was in a coma and unconscious for three days until he woke up to his teammate crouching beside him, pressing a ball of snow against his lips. They were stranded in the Andes, he was freezing, and his head was throbbing with pain and his skull was in pieces. There were twenty-nine survivors. When I was reading Miracle in the Andes I compared it to the book Robinson Crusoe because both books deal with an exceptional challenge facing the main characters. The men had a problem and needed to persevere and refuse to give up. They ran into obstacles and overcame the harsh elements.
Roberto was nearing the end of his strength. My strength was fading, too. Painful cramps had seized my legs, making every step an agony, and my breathing was too rapid and shallow. I knew we were walking ourselves to death, but I couldn’t make myself stop. Time was running out for us, and the weaker I grew, the more frantic I became to keep moving. My pain, my body, didn’t matter anymore; it was just a vehicle now. I would burn myself to ashes if that was what it took to get home. (211)
I am not an avid reader. Usually I read because I have to, not because I enjoy reading. That said, I was actually compelled to read Miracle in the Andes. The author, Nando Parrado, wrote in a straightforward style. With every situation and challenge I could picture the scene of the survivors and their struggle to get through one more day. Although some died over the 72 days, what was really inspiring was that 15 people survived because of their courage, faith, and determination.