Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti's Hotel Montana [Hardcover]

Dan Woolley (Author), Jennifer Schuchmann (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 21, 2010

Dan Woolley---who spent 65 hrs trapped beneath the rubble of Haiti's Hotel Montana---recounts his experience living through the 7.0 Haiti earthquake in Unshaken: Rising from the rubble of Haiti's Hotel Montana. After a last-minute hotel switch, no one, not even Dan's wife, knew where he was staying while in Haiti. Trapped in total darkness for nearly three days, with a broken foot, his leg ripped open and a head injury, Dan battled despair, dehydration, anger with God and doubt over whether he would live to see his wife and two young sons again. Woolley had allowed his faith and marriage to weaken in the busyness of life. His entrapment forced him to think about what really mattered. Unshaken includes color photographs and the heartrending reflections from Woolley's wife. Readers will learn new truths from Woolley's themes of spiritual and marital renewal, his key insights into poverty through Compassion International, and his hard-won reminder to embrace every opportunity God gives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Powerful, personal, and faith-enhancing." --Bear Grylls, survival expert and host of Man vs. Wild

"Truly amazing story."

--Anderson Cooper, host of CNN's Anderson Cooper 360

"Dan's story is compelling. It nearly takes my breath away. There really are so many facets to it, not just what happened in Haiti."

--Jim Daly, President and CEO of Focus on the Family and co-host of the daily Focus on the Family broadcast

"They say that truth is stranger than fiction, and this is more exciting than a Hollywood drama. I think the Woolley's story gives us all a gift."

--Dr. Juli Slattery, psychologist and co-host of the daily Focus on the Family broadcast

"Thrilling and inspiring."

--Billy Heller, "Required Reading," The New York Post

"I predict anyone who begins reading will choose to be trapped to the end. Fascinating and inspiring."

--Kay Campbell, The Huntsville Times

From the Back Cover

In a story of survival, Dan Woolley--who spent 65 hrs trapped beneath the rubble of Haiti's Hotel Montana--recounts his experience living through the 7.0 Haiti earthquake in Unshaken: Rising from the rubble of Haiti's Hotel Montana (Zondervan).
After a last-minute hotel switch, no one, not even Dan's wife, knew where he was staying while in Haiti. Trapped in total darkness for nearly three days, with a broken foot, his leg ripped open and a head injury, Dan battled despair, dehydration, anger with God and doubt over whether he would live to see his wife and two young sons again.

Woolley had allowed his faith and marriage to weaken in the busyness of life. Now, his entrapment forced him to think about what really mattered as he struggled to hold on to hope and stay alive until he could be rescued.

Unshaken includes color photos Woolley took under the rubble, the good-bye notes he wrote to his family in case he was never rescued, and heartrending reflections from Woolley's wife as she waited for news as to whether her husband was alive. You will be captivated by Woolley's themes of spiritual and marital renewal, the ways in which his faith sustained him in the life-and-death situation, and his insights into poverty through his work with Compassion International, the world's largest Christian child development organization.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan; First Edtion; First Pringting edition (December 21, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310330971
• ISBN-13: 978-0310330974
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #639,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intensely personal and impactful, December 21, 2010

By 

Ray Cameron (Colorado Springs, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti's Hotel Montana (Kindle Edition)

This story not only takes you to the depth of the struggle to stay alive in Haiti but also inspires you to consider your own fragile life and what is most important. I felt like I was in the rubble with him, cheering him on to stay alive and fight. His victory is my my inspiration to live each day to the fullest.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Deeply Moving Book, January 16, 2011

By 

Tammie - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti's Hotel Montana (Hardcover)

Just over a year ago Dan Woolley and David Hames headed to Haiti. Their goal was to shoot video and photographic footage to highlight the work that Compassion International does in Haiti. Both men were passionate about that work. What started out as a beautiful, productive day ended in unspeakable tragedy.

At 4:53pm a 7.0 earthquake shook Haiti. Dan and David had just arrived back at the Hotel Montana where they were staying. The six story structure took just seconds to collapse and bury the two deep in the rubble.
Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti's Hotel Montana is Dan's story. It is an open and emotional account of the hours that Dan spent buried.

Dan lived through the quake and was able to find a safe place in the rubble to wait for rescue. There in the bowels of a hellish situation he struggled with thoughts of his own death and what had happened to David. He worried about what would happen to his wife and two young boys if he wasn't rescued in time. And in pitch black he met the God he had worshiped for years, but had grown lukewarm in the last few years.

In the darkness he heard other survivors near him and together they encouraged each other through the direst of circumstances. A young Haitian man in an elevator shaft next to Dan was one of those survivors. Through their hours in captivity Dan led this young man to a saving relationship with Christ.

When he was rescued 65 hours later he had a head wound, a broken leg, and was dehydrated. But he was also a new man in his faith, having experienced God in a profound way. He emerged from the rubble with a renewed zest for life and for his faith.

This book is more than Dan's story. It is also his wife Christina's story. It brings to light Christina's struggle early in their marriage with clinical depression. In a brave step Christina has spoken out about her life and how depression has affected her and those around her. Many consider depression a weakness and not something a Christian should have a problem with. However, clinical depression is a chemical imbalance in the brain that can be treated with medication and therapy. It is not a failing of the person involved. Just as Dan met God in his darkest time, so did Christina.

Unshaken is brutally honest and at times heart wrenching. Despite knowing the outcome it had me on the edge of my seat and other times in tears. It is a story of tragic devastation and soaring hope; of life and death. More than that, it is a story of rebirth and renewal.

*Sadly, David Hames was killed instantly when the quake hit, but as a Christian we know that we will meet him again heaven.
*A portion of the proceeds of this book will go to Compassion International.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read!, December 27, 2010

By 

Nashvillian - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unshaken: Rising from the Ruins of Haiti's Hotel Montana (Hardcover)

This is one of the most inspiring, edge-of-your-seat nonfiction books I've read in years. Dan Woolley survived 65 hours trapped in darkness under 6 stories of collapsed rubble following last January's earthquake in Haiti. The book is not only about Dan's near-death ordeal following the earthquake, but also the journey he and his wife Christy have taken in their marriage to overcome the darkness of depression. The parallels between the darkness of clinical depression and the darkness of Dan's entrapment are striking, and the context of Dan and Christy's past experiences gives much greater insight into what they were both going through those three days following the Haiti earthquake. The common denominator, beyond a doubt, is their hope and trust in God. I appreciate that Dan doesn't steer away from the hard questions regarding why he survived when so many others didn't - nor does he claim to have the answers. A must read, for sure.