Tuesday night at book club, we Skyped with author, Carol Shaben, who wrote ‘Into The Abyss’ in 2012.

Tomorrow will be the twenty-ninth anniversary of the Northern Alberta plane crash that this book is based on. This is not only a book based on a true story, but a story of Carol’s determined heart and mind.

My understanding of the back story on this incredible book are from reading about Carol Shaben in preparation for book club and hearing her talk on Skype.

Wow! We were all blown away by the connection we felt while she was talking about her book. She is a real woman!

This story had been brewing in her mind and heart since she was twenty-two living in Jerusalem. On October 19th, she was reading the Jerusalem Post and she saw a small story that her father had been in a plane crash. Can you imagine?

She wrote the book in her loft office using a gigantic bulletin board and cue cards to keep all the individual stories and lives straight. There were ten passengers in the plane that horrific October day. Only four survived, her dad, a cop, his prisoner and the pilot. I won’t tell you anymore, but the story will eat you up.

The story is written like a delicious chocolate mousse. It is smooth, textured and rich in the development of the characters. A page turner that only took me two days to read. I do devour books, but i think this book devoured me. Sometimes it is hard to imagine the the story is true.

Our book club is extremely grateful that Carol Shaben took the time to talk with us. She is incredibly down to earth and her love for writing, this book and her father flew through the computer screen. Thank you for sharing your gift Carol.

Congratulations Carol on your Edna Staebler Award for Creative Non-Fiction that you will receive on November 13th along with a $10,000 cheque.