Fact Friday and Arc Review: All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys's soccer team by Christina Soontornvat

Image: Candlewick Press

All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team by Chritina Soontornvat. 280 p. Candlewick Press, October 13, 2020. 9781536209457. (Review of arc courtesy of publisher.)

Fact Friday features All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team by Chritina Soontornvat. Two years ago this past June, the Wild Boars soccer team finished practicing. Twelve team members set on bikes out with their coach to explore the Tham Luang cave system in a nearby mountain. They left their bikes and soccer cleats at the mouth of the cave and descended into the caverns. Then it started to rain and the passage out flooded. They were trapped. Worse still, none of the parents knew where the boys and their coach were. And it was still raining. The rainy season arrived early that year. They had flashlights but remained in the pitch dark to conserve battery power. They found a chamber to huddle in and tried to keep warm while they awaited rescue. It would take seventeen days for the Thai government and rescue teams that included Navy Seals and cave divers to figure out a way of evacuating the boys and their coach. Even then, the rescuers were not sure if everyone would survive the swim out.

Ms. Soontornvort was visiting family in northern Thailand at the time and, like the rest of the world, was riveted. She holds an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering and a masters in science education. Between those degrees and her chops as a writer, she brings the reader up close and personal, breaking the tension of the rescue narrative with important cultural and environmental context. She clearly explains the science and engineering and provides the reader with portraits of individuals involved. 

Whoa! This was one intense, compelling read! I had to read it in one day but often needed to take a break to breathe and walk around a bit - all this already knowing the outcome! The immediacy of the writing and the attention to detail made for an immensely satisfying read. (And yes, there were tears.) Profusely illustrated with photos, maps and diagrams, and containing over fifty pages of back matter, this work is a must-read. 

It's not due out until October, so put it on pre-order. It has been blurbed by Steve Sheinkin as "the real deal." I anticipate many starred reviews. There aren't enough superlatives to convey how impressed I am by this stunning work of informational literature. Highly, highly recommended!