false 6319648 1 <b>One of the most amazing survival stories ever told -- journalist Jennifer Woodlief's gripping account of the deadliest ski-area avalanche in North American history and the woman who survived in the face of incalculable odds.</b><P>On the morning of March 31, 1982, the snow had already been falling at a record rate for four days at Alpine Meadows ski resort near Lake Tahoe, California. For the vacationers and employees at the resort, this day would change their lives forever.<P>The unprecedented avalanche that day at Alpine Meadows was a once-in-a-lifetime catastrophe. Much like the nor'easter that bedeviled the fishermen in Sebastian Junger's <I>The Perfect Storm</i>, an unforeseeable confluence of natural events created the conditions for an unimaginable disaster -- and, in one woman's case, an astonishing ordeal of survival.<P>Jennifer Woodlief movingly tells the story of the massive slab avalanche that killed seven and left one victim buried alive under the snow. In this freak event, millions of tons of snow roared into the ski area and beyond, engulfing unsuspecting vacationers as well as resort employees working in spite of the danger.<P>At the center of this wrenching tale of nature's fury are ski patrolman Larry Heywood and his team, who heroically fought with the help of a search-and-rescue dog to save a twenty-two-year-old woman trapped for five days underneath the suffocating snow -- a tale of survival that is itself an exploration of the capacity of courage.<P>Written with all the suspense of a thriller, <I>A Wall of White</i> is an inspiring story of a group of strangers brought together by an inconceivable calamity -- a testament to the unwavering dedication of a band of rebel rescuers, driven only by a commitment to saving lives, battling not just extreme conditions but seemingly impossible odds. 6504970 17 2 2009 A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche total:18|5:1|4:2|3:1|2:0|1:0| 18 66 35 8 4 0 false false Tue Sep 29 13:22:09 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 13:25:55 -0700 2009 A Wall of White; The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche (2009) written by Jennifer Woodlief is a fascinating and amazing story about a blizzard, an avalanche, and the heroic people who set out to rescue survivors. The deadly avalanche occurred on March 31, 19...more...]]> 4 0 false false Sat May 02 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Sat May 02 21:18:12 -0700 2009 Wed May 06 08:59:12 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Sep 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 22:08:29 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 29 22:10:54 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Sat Apr 25 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 09:46:22 -0700 2009 Sat Apr 25 11:23:51 -0700 2009 1 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 19 17:04:38 -0700 2009 Sun Apr 19 17:09:20 -0700 2009 quick read. Not something I normally go for, but my Stepmom lost her first husband and daughter in the avalanche.
It's a pretty compelling story, and her nature descriptions are well crafted. It's just hard to read a story and savor the details when you know how it's going to end. ]]> 0 0 false false Thu Aug 06 05:51:41 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 05:53:12 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 06:31:50 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 29 06:32:41 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 12:25:32 -0700 2009 Fri May 01 12:25:32 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Nov 24 12:05:49 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 24 12:05:49 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 19 17:31:11 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 19 17:31:16 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Mon Nov 16 17:59:09 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 09:44:17 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 10 09:44:21 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Tue Oct 13 14:52:59 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 14:52:59 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 14 14:44:22 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 14 14:44:22 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Wed Sep 09 09:56:08 -0700 2009 Wed Sep 09 09:56:08 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Wed Aug 19 21:42:38 -0700 2009 Wed Aug 19 21:42:38 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 06 02:17:26 -0700 2009 Thu Aug 06 02:17:46 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Sun Mar 15 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 12:22:32 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 12:22:53 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Fri Jul 17 05:13:43 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 05:13:51 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jul 09 15:19:13 -0700 2009 Thu Jul 09 15:19:13 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Jun 11 16:57:46 -0700 2009 Thu Jun 11 16:57:46 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=6319648