Customer Reviews

A Wall of White: The True Story of Heroism and Survival in the Face of a Deadly Avalanche

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perhaps I'm a bit partial, I am in the book after all; I am thrilled with the scope, depth and heart that Ms. Woodlief has put into this amazing story. This was a remarkable time period in many people's lives; those of us that made the choice to be in the mountains were leading a very different life from our friends in the "real world". Then on one fateful day, our lives were changed in a moment. The storytelling here takes the threads of so many lives, related or not, and weaves an intricate tapestry to bring connection to all that came apart amid Mother Nature's show of her mighty force.

Once I started, I couldn't put this book down. It reminded me how helpless we are in the face of nature, and yet that humans will perform heroically and selflessly to save those in peril. At times I found myself gasping for breath.

This was a fantastic read: gripping, very moving, beautifully told. But how on Earth did the editors allow the following lines to make their way into the final version of this book: "Several other men responded to the call for help as well, including a black man from Oakland on vacation with his family. The only footwear he had with him was a pair of sneakers, but he asked Wendell to lend him some boots (which he mailed back weeks later) so he could join the search." This comment is atrocious! Why is it in there? What does this man's color have to do with the story? Why are we told, in parentheses, that he mailed the boots back? I was so very disappointed by these lines. They seemed to come out of nowhere, for no good reason (I re-read p. 179, thinking I must have missed something), and all but ruined the book for me. I wanted to be able to recommend this book fully, without reservation, but I ended up feeling bothered and sad, and having reservations. I would feel much more angry than sad if the rest of the book hadn't been such an absorbing, riveting page-turner. A SHAME, all around ...

The author did a fantastic job. It is beautifully written and has all the detail to make one feel as though they are experiencing all the action themselves. Jennifer did a lot of background research about avalanches and the geography of the basin and it is conveyed wonderfully in the book. There was many times I was overcome with tears while reading.

My father, Thom Orsi, was there that day in 1982. It is by fate that he was where he was at the moment of the avalanche. A moment I will forever be thankful for because, if not, I would not be here today as I was born a year later in '83. This small community is a family to me, this book is a tribute to my roots.

I believe this book is a memorial to those lost that day. My heart goes out to ALL affected by this tradegy then and now and thankful for those who displayed such heroic actions.

A fantastic book and a must read.

Almost exactly 27 years ago, on March 31st 1982, I awoke at 4:00 am to begin a day that forever changed my life.

This new book by Jennifer Woodlief chronicles the events leading up to and following that fateful day in great detail.

She has managed to tell this story with amazing clarity and depth of feeling. Each person who had a part in that tragedy saw it from their own personal perspective, and it was beneficial for me to see the "big picture" as she put all the pieces together.

I highly recommend this book.

I also read this book in one sitting and couldn't put it down. While the book is certainly about the avalanche that affected so many lives in North Lake Tahoe in 1982, it's also an amazing historical piece about a very specific time and place, North Lake Tahoe between the 1960s and 1980s. There have been so many questions in my mind about the history of the area and I was very pleasantly surprised to have so much of it filled in from both a historical, geological and personal perspective.

The author's pacing of the story, as she draws together the threads that wove the fabric of people that made up the community was compelling. Her descriptions about the history of Alpine Meadows, from its geological formation to its origination as a ski resort were fascinating. I also enjoyed learning about the people that worked the ski patrol, some of whom are still there.

I've been drawn to Alpine Meadows since I began skiing at the mountain in 1983. I've had a three decade long affair with the area that I've never really fully understood myself. As much as I enjoy many mountains throughout the west and throughout the world, this little valley has always drawn me and sometimes I really have had to wonder if my obsessions bordered on crazy. Reading this book and reading about the sacrifices that men and women made to be at Alpine and keep it going and keep it safe and learning about the atmosphere there, I'm really happy to see that my obsession with the location is not unique to me, but that there is something truly special about this place.

In some ways, because of my personal connection to the area, this book really completed a part of me. I congratulate the author on telling the story so well. There's no doubt that you will have tears in your eyes by the and yet be strengthened by the will to survive and a community that took so much care of its own.

I opened the box from Amazon, opened the book, and just now put it down. So touched by this book, I am compelled to write my first ever review. Filled with the background needed to understand the science of avalanches, but not bogged down by it, this book makes the storm capricious, the avalanche alive, and the men who fought it nothing short of heroic. I was moved beyond words by two stories within this story: Mike Alves and Randy Buck. Without spoiling anything, the actions of these two men in the face of and the moments after what must have the most frightening/confusing event of their lives are as gripping as any I have ever heard or read. What they did, how they did it -- and most importantly how this book captures it all -- is an amazing example of what humans can achieve. They are my heroes, truly. I will never forget this story -- their story -- or how I felt when I finished this book. What a rush, what a story, what a read.

I wanted to really like this book. But I didn't.

Jennifer Woodlief tells the story of the 1982 avalanche at the Lake Tahoe ski resort of Alpine Meadows. She chronicles the stories of the victims of the avalanche and those left to conduct the rescue and recovery efforts. A ten day storm left 14 fourteen feet of snow on the resort's slopes. These are slopes that already had some unstable layers of snow. When they finally let go, a wall of white destroyed the base lodge and covered the parking, burying most of those in the area.

A few years ago I had a great time snowboarding in Lake Tahoe. After spending most of my snowboarding days on the blue ice of the east coast, that deep snow in Tahoe was intoxicating. But each morning we waited at the base, listening to the explosives go off trying break loose any unstable snow. We don't have avalanches back east. We don't get that much snow and don't have much wide open terrain above treeline. So I appreciated the work of the snow patrol as they made all that wonderful snow safe for me to enjoy.

I also saw an avalanche first-hand during my climb of Rainier. Fortunately, it was off in the distance. But we heard the roar and saw the destructive power of that snow fracturing and streaming down the mountain.

With that, you can see my interest in the book.

There were some good parts of the book and some very moving passages. As you might guess, not everyone survives. Most of the book is spent giving the background stories of the people, why they ended up on the mountain and where they ended up just before the avalanche. The avalanche itself takes just a few minutes. The ensuing rescue and recovery takes a few days.

I had trouble keeping track of all the people she included it the story. The portraits seemed to merge together into generic skiers of the early 80's and stereotypical ski bums. There are some interesting characters but it is easy to lose track of them. parts of the book seem to be in the wrong places.

With good editing and another draft of the book it could have been pretty good.

In the interest of full disclosure, Atria Books sent me an advance proof in the hopes that I would review the book.

A Wall of White, by Jennifer Woodlief, was a compelling and quick read. This true story is about the worst avalanche accident to hit a ski resort in North America. In the spring of 1982, the accident and the search for victims grabbed the headlines; Woodlief's book encompasses so much more.

This is not the story of one person, but of the ski patrol, the resort workers, vacationers, and their families. The story unfolds with introductions to the people, the resort and the mountain. Woodlief is skillful in explaining technical details of the event without overwhelming her reader. She honors the victims and survivors with a realistic description of their personalities, their lives, their passions; they are real people. The story builds as the avalanche builds on the ridge. When the avalanche gives way, creating chaos, Woodlief interweaves the survivors' stories. She relays what they saw, said and felt. The crush of the avalanche impacts the reader as well. Survivors and volunteers rush to do what they can. Families and friends endure the wait and hope for a miracle.

The underlying story is interesting. Unfortunately, the book is poorly written.

The author includes opinionated, personal interjections and descriptions throughout, and occasional grammatical errors. Woodlief falls terribly short in her attempts to captivate the reader with over dramatization. Much of the book has nothing to do with the actual story. Instead there are longwinded descriptions of the characters and their lives.

I also agree with D. J. Fyfe about the appalling bigotry.