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carlylottsofbookz's review against another edition
3.0
I'd never really thought about how terrifying being in a mine could be...until I read this book. Perhaps the book is not meant to terrify it's readers--but I'm impressionable :)
This is the very true (and very heartbreaking tale) of the Sunshine Mine (Idaho) in the 1970s. A fire started and carbon monocide quickly spread through the mine. Miners being miners (ie, tough, hard working, and not quick to give up work--which meant money), many didn't try to evacuate, but wanted to just wait it out until the smoke cleared out and they could go back to work...many of them didn't make it out.
Olsen does a good job of telling the story in a truthful but dignified way--the people who lived through this I think would not be upset about how he wrote about the fire. He treats them all with respect, not trying to sensationalize the events of that day, but rather telling how these brave men and women did what they could, even if it did turn out to be the biggest disaster in Idaho history.
This is the very true (and very heartbreaking tale) of the Sunshine Mine (Idaho) in the 1970s. A fire started and carbon monocide quickly spread through the mine. Miners being miners (ie, tough, hard working, and not quick to give up work--which meant money), many didn't try to evacuate, but wanted to just wait it out until the smoke cleared out and they could go back to work...many of them didn't make it out.
Olsen does a good job of telling the story in a truthful but dignified way--the people who lived through this I think would not be upset about how he wrote about the fire. He treats them all with respect, not trying to sensationalize the events of that day, but rather telling how these brave men and women did what they could, even if it did turn out to be the biggest disaster in Idaho history.
cascadianriot's review against another edition
4.0
Great book - very good insight into the life of metal miners in the northern Rockies. The writing style could have used some improvement but definitely an enjoyable read.
sadalababa's review against another edition
4.0
I grew up in this area so I thought it would be interesting to read about this disaster. My dad and his brothers were miners but were all employed by Bunker Hill in 1972. I was a six year old who, of course, didn't pay any attention to this when it happened.
Years later, when I attended Kellogg Jr. High, I became friends with a classmate who had lost her dad due to this catastrophe. The book does mention her family several times and it was a little emotional for me to read that.
Overall, I did appreciate this accounting of the disaster.
Years later, when I attended Kellogg Jr. High, I became friends with a classmate who had lost her dad due to this catastrophe. The book does mention her family several times and it was a little emotional for me to read that.
Overall, I did appreciate this accounting of the disaster.
__karen__'s review against another edition
5.0
Wow, this was a very compelling read. Probably the best book I've read about a mine disaster.
evanskike's review against another edition
2.0
A little over-the-top on the tough-guy talk, but conveys a complicated and intricate narrative pretty well.
karend's review against another edition
One of the stops on our grand tour of Idaho was the museum in Wallace, where there was a model of the Sunshine Mine that piqued my interest, so I picked up this book to read more about the mine and the tragic fire there. I appreciated the view into the Idaho Panhandle in the early 1970s. Some of the mining stuff confused me; I can see why the model was built to help the jury in the trial it was used during understand the layout. Even though I knew how the story would turn out, I was still engrossed by its unfolding in this volume.
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