Into the Abyss: An Extraordinary True Story by Shaben, Carol (2014) Paperback

If, as some apparently were, you're expecting a long, detailed account of 70 days in the wilderness, you'll be disappointed. Buy this book instead if you want to read an extremely well-researched and beautifully written account of what led up to a tragic air crash, how four people cooperated to stay alive long enough to be rescued, and how they dealt with the aftermath of the traumatic event in their lives in different ways. Not all heroes are perfect. Not all villains are evil. Stories don't just end with the arrival of the rescue helicopter and stirring music as the survivors gaze up joyfully and the credits roll. Life goes on, and this book explores how that occurred for four unlikely "partners." A pilot under stress who made a mistake he can never forget. A politician. A cop--and the criminal he was transporting who saved his life. Powerful and moving. Just as heroes aren't perfect, neither is this book. But it's very, very good, not just as a flying story and a survival tale, but as an account of how each survivor was tested after he received a second chance in life. I read it straight through.

This book entranced me. It is well written, captivating, a true story of bravery, resilience and the goodness in our common humanity. True disclosure: my husband was a private pilot, we owned our own plane and we flew extensively which likely made me appreciate this story more than the average person might.

In October 1984, a Piper Navajo Chieftain commuter flight, loaded to the gunwales with nine passengers and too much baggage plus one young and thoroughly in-over-his-head pilot, crashed onto a snowy mountain slope in northern Canada. Six of the passengers died, some slowly and in agony. Three, plus the pilot, survived and spent a bitter-cold night and part of the next day in their street clothes, without shelter, before being saved by a substantial search-and-rescue operation mounted by the RCAF, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and civilian pilots and snowmobilers. All four kept their wits about them despite having injuries ranging from banged up to severe. It was an odd quartet. One was an important Canadian politician. Another was the pilot, who knew he had screwed up badly by trying to make a solo night instrument approach to an airport that was below minimums and had an ADF beacon as its sole navaid. And the other two were a Mountie and a tough young ex-con he'd been escorting to court. The prisoner was the strongest, bravest and most resourceful of them all. Without him, some might have died. The author, Carol Shaben, had unusual access to the four. Her father was the pol, and she has used that happenstance to tell a survival story in a manner and with a style that the deservedly lauded Jon Krakauer would appreciate. As somebody who has both piloted Piper Navajo Chieftains and flown in the Canadian north country, I also find it remarkable that Shaben, a nonpilot, has gotten every aviation detail right. There are “aviation experts” writing and reporting for major media outlets who couldn't do half as well as Shaben does. The book in fact is about long-term survival far beyond a cold night in the bush. There are the struggles of an overworked young pilot trying to build hours so he can get a real airline job, as well as the marginal existence of the tiny, family-run commuterline that hires him. The crash bonds the four survivors, who become friends thereafter--particularly the Mountie and his former prisoner. Each handles the crash experience in a different way, and their lives are thereafter shaped by it. Shaben follows them all through their emotional and physical struggles. She tells a fascinating story of lives that were changed forever by a dreadful night that the rest of us can barely imagine.

I've enjoyed the book, but truly expected it to be more of a page turner. I opened it, expecting the fast pace of survival in the wilderness. I'm an avid outdoors (wo)man, and I'm fully aware the risk of the mountains at night. The details of emotions are scarce, and I know the emotion of being lost in a wilderness about to freeze to death. The book tells a nice story, and good insider details of the plane crash, but, alas, moves too slowly and spares plenty of detail in the telling of its story. What about the fear of the elements? The icy conditions? The probability of animals nearby? At one point, Erik and Paul are working under the plane, and out of nowhere comes the accusation that Paul has been stealing from the luggage and the deceased. It has been shown earlier in the book, where he uses clothes of the deceased to clothe those clinging to life, but I fail to see its relation to the rest of the story. Why was this important? Of course it mattered, because otherwise the four clinging to life were likely to have frozen to death, but the accusation of petty theft? Not what I expected. I like the side by side comparison as time marched on. I enjoyed some of the smaller details that may have otherwise been overlooked, but Ms. Shaben's father is the center of her focus. The others had to be thinking of their own lives. Again, detail in this section is sketchy. Oh, and the first section of the book is incredibly dull, and all about Erik's flight experience, not in reference to the remainder of the book, or so I felt. It's alright. I'd recommend you get it from a library or a friend, though, if you so desire. There are better stories out there.

Love this book!

This isn't a grand survival adventure nor a sensationalized version of events. It is an exploration of how this tragedy occurred and how the experience shaped the lives of the survivors. A great deal dealt with the safety issues and how this accident affected the future of aviation in Canada. It also explores the physical, emotional and spiritual repercussions for the survivors. It is a well written, interesting story, although I felt the end got a little unfocused and rambling.

Great true story of bush pilots in Canada, that is excellently written by a Daughter of passenger & story of survival in the Great Northwest!

I like books based on true stories and this one did not disappoint. If you like adventure mixed with real life, this is a book to cherish.

A gripping story and the fact it was true making it impossible to put down. I ordered two more, one for family on August 4th: and one for a friend later. But only one arrived. Tracking information for the one ordered in early August stopped early August which was so unlike Amazon service which has included around 100 items over time. A disappointment but I'm not perfect either

This is a moving story of survival. It is not focused so much on the crash (which takes up only a quarter of the book), but on the survivors' change of life after the crash. I love survival stories and interesting biographies with endearing characters, so I could only love this book. Carol Shaben is an excellent story-teller, too. What this book is not, contrary to what the blurb suggests, is an adventure story. But if you love true life stories, then this book if for you!

The writer takes you right to the site of the plane crash and you feel like you were there. Very gifted writer and a very inspiring story. (I was a police officer who worked with Scott s naturally I was interested) It is a great read for anyone.

Love that it's a true Canadian story. A little dry at times but good book. Well written focusing on the survivors.