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Into the Abyss by Carol Shaben book cover
2013: Carol Shaben, Into the Abyss

2013: Carol Shaben, Into the Abyss

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Description

In the tradition of Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm comes the riveting account of a deadly plane crash in northern Canada and its aftermath. Written by an award-winning journalist who is the daughter of one of the survivors, Into the Abyss is a dramatic true story of survival, and a compassionate account of four men's journey from the depths of tragedy to the riches of lives begun anew.

On an icy night in October 1984, a Piper Navajo commuter plane carrying nine passengers crashed in the remote wilderness of northern Alberta, killing six people. Four survived: the rookie pilot, a prominent politician, a cop and the criminal he was escorting to face charges. As they fought through the night to stay alive, the dividing lines of power, wealth and status were erased and each man was forced to confront the precious and limited nature of his existence. The survivors forged unlikely friendships and through them found strength and courage to rebuild their lives. Into the Abyss is a powerful narrative that combines in-depth reporting with sympathy and grace to explore how a single, tragic event can upset our assumptions and become a catalyst for transformation.

Judges' Comments

In this book, Carol Shaben reconstructs a 1984 commuter plane crash in northern Alberta that killed six passengers and wounded four others—including Shaben’s father, a prominent cabinet minister. After watching how the accident affected her father for many years, Shaben, a former CBC writer and broadcaster, decided to find out more about it. While the story is an expertly researched, detailed reconstruction of the crash and a call for better oversight of small, commuter airlines, its heart lies in the portraits she draws of the crash’s survivors: her father, the pilot and an RCMP officer and the prisoner he was transporting. Through interviews and written documents, Shaben paints a haunting portrait of the bond created among the survivors and how the crash affected their lives. It’s a stylishly written, fast-paced story that’s more gripping and engaging than you might expect. A tale of redemption.

Learn More

Explore the works of our previous Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction winners.

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