Last week, in either an article or a blog post, I read about this book:
To my great surprise, it arrived at my pick-up library on Tuesday morning. I'd expected it to take longer. We'd already planned to go to the library that day, so I was able to collect it. And it was a great read. It's a memoir, but also provides insight into what cave diving is like, the natural environments in which she searched for dive spots and the underwater environments in which she made her dives. She also describes the culture of the cave diving community, the dangers divers face, and the tragedies they deal with on an all too regular basis. There are photos in the book which gave me goosebumps as I looked at them--such incredibly beautiful parts of the planet unseen by most people.
Because of the nature of cave diving and some of the locations in which the dives too place, including Antarctica, there were some suspenseful segments of the book. Obviously I knew she would survive even as she described not being sure herself at the time. She did write the book afterwards, so her fate was never in doubt. But I was never sure about her dive partners.
Heinerth engages in self-reflection and describes her personal growth throughout the book and I found that aspect of it interesting, too. Her journey to self-acceptance about who she is and is not and how she just isn't really wired to be the kind of woman who comfortably fits into societal expectations and roles resonated with me. Not that I ever had any interest in being a cave diver! Cave diving isn't something I knew anything about--or even thought about, really. It wasn't until I saw the article/blog post that I thought I'd like to read a book about it. It was a happy surprise.
8 comments:
I checked my library and they had this so I got the audio. Thanks for posting about it!
I hope you like it!
Spelunking on dry land would cause me heart palpitations, let alone underwater! As you point out it must be the most hazardous of pastimes, and one that few people have the urge or the courage (foolishness?) to try. I believe it was Malone who, when asked why he wished to climb Everest, replied, “Because it’s there!” I have never been of that frame of mind! Thanks for the review of the book, Dorothy. I will see if the library has it.
I do admire people who explore where so few others have ventured.
Many thanks for highlighting this book.
All the best Jan
I'm with you, David--not my thing. I am glad to be able to see the photos, though.
Me, too, Jan! This woman is clearly passionate about what she does and her photography/videography skills allow the rest of us to get a little glimpse into worlds we wouldn't otherwise be able to see, which I appreciate.
I bet this is fascinating. Like Jan, I admire people who are adventurous like this. I'm going to add it to my to read list. Thanks.
It's a great read for sure and the photos are absolutely stunning.
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