Christina Soontornvat

In Thailand, in June of 2018, twelve members of a boys' soccer team, along with their coach, went on what was supposed to be a fun afternoon's adventure exploring a local cave system, only to find themselves trapped when the caves flooded due to the unexpectedly early arrival of Thailand's rainy season. They were stuck down there for eighteen days, the first ten of them with no food and no contact with the outside world, an ordeal I honestly cannot even begin to imagine.

I was vaguely aware show more of these events when they happened, occasionally hearing news about them, but I had absolutely no idea of just how massive, dedicated, and heroic the rescue operations that saved these kids were. By the end, they involved a staggering number of people: from the Thai and US militaries, to expert cave divers flown in from the UK, to local people who did everything from helping divert more water from entering the caves to delivering meals for the rescue workers. Nor did I have any sense of how incredibly difficult and dangerous the entire operation was, or how near-miraculous it was that all thirteen survived. (Although the event was still not free of tragedy, as one of the Thai Navy SEALs lost his life over the course of those eighteen days.)

I am very glad to know it all now, though. It's an exciting story of daring rescue, and a worthwhile cautionary tale -- be careful in caves, people, and always tell someone where you're going! -- but most of all it seems to me to be a showcase of humanity at its very best, coming together to help those in need, no matter what it might take.

And Soontornvat tells that story well. Her writing is simple and clear in a way that's meant to be accessible to younger readers, but it's compelling enough for those of any age. She never sensationalizes the story, or talks about the kids in a way that feels like it's exploiting their traumatic experiences. She doesn't even do that thing I thought anyone writing this sort of book was practically obligated to do these days and stick the climactic or most exciting part of the story in the front, as if readers can't be trusted to be sufficiently patient with a narrative that actually starts at the beginning. I cannot say how refreshing I find that! And I for one, certainly didn't need any sensationalizing or contrived narrative structure to feel incredibly invested in the events as they unfolded. The simple facts are interesting and exciting enough! And, speaking of simple facts, I also very much appreciated the sidebars Soontornvat includes giving relevant and useful background information about subjects like cave geology and Thai culture. show less

Summary: Sai, a girl from the Fens, daughter of a conman, manages to find a place with the last mapmaker of Mangkon just as he is enlisted on a voyage of discovery with great possible rewards, risks, and Slakes!

Sai was a twelve year old growing up in the Fens, a slumlike area of Mangkon. Her father, Mud, is a no-account conman in and out of prison. She longs for better things than working in a market. Yet she has no hope of receiving lineals on her thirteenth birthday, the mark of status. show more One day, she happens by the shop of Paiyoon, the foremost and last mapmaker in the land, just as he is lamenting his need of an assistant. She volunteers and he accepts and she does whatever he says, coming in earlier than he does.

Sai is talented at copying and her father wants her to forge an official letter. She is caught copying one of Paiyoon’s letters and he marvels at her skill. He discovers she can do this with maps as well. Soon after, Paiyoon learns he will be the mapmaker and navigator on an expedition ordered by the Queen to discover the Sunderlands, a continent that exists in myths, surrounded by the stormy and perilous Harbinger Sea, and guarded by the mythical Slake, a kind of sea dragon. He invites Sai along, and she jumps at the chance, giving up her hard-earned savings to be free of Mud.

But the rewards for the crew that discover the continent are good, along with lineals. And Sai gets to work with Paiyoon, further learning his craft, critical because his hands have begun to shake. The ship, the Prosperity, is the flagship of the Navy, captained by an illustrious war hero, Anchalee Sangra. There are two problems on board. One is Grebe, a sailor who had followed her one early morning in the Fens, until she eluded him. She fears she will be recognized, and her lowly origins in this status-conscious society betrayed. The other is Bo, a young orphan boy who had tried to pick her pocket on a port visit but was caught by her, but escaped arrest. He has stowed away and she discovers him and ends up trying to shield him. The two will ultimately team up. She also makes a friend with a striking young woman, Rian, popular among the sailors and ambitious to make the discover. She turns out to be half-sister to the captain.

It turns out the crew is divided, the Captain and Paiyoon and a few others on one side and Rian and most of the crew who want to take the risks to find the Sunderlands. The difference is not fear, as it turns out, but a recognition of the harms of Mangkon’s imperial ambitions. Sai and Bo will be caught up in this division, resulting in a conspiracy and a tumultuous finish. Sai and Paiyoon will be parted with Sai becoming mapmaker and navigator. Along the way are storms, shipwrecks, and the Slake!

This is a great adventure story that also raises thought-provoking questions about loyalties as well as the imperial ambitions of great nations. Is “discovery” really such a good thing for the “discovered”? It is written for an 8 to 12 year old audience, but this adult loved it. Christina Soontornvat first caught my attention when I had the chance to review her All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys’ Soccer Team. That was non-fiction but introduced me to her story-telling capabilities. She published two Newbery Honor Books in 2021. Her characters are “real,” her plotting makes this a page-turner, and there is an evident “moral compass” in these works in the real choices characters make amid pressures of personal and imperial ambition. I loved it.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher via LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Program. The opinions I have expressed are my own. show less

This is one of those books that you fall into like an adventure -- it unfolds like a map of an uncharted sea, and the characters gradually grow into themselves. It's a lovely story, and a melancholy one -- with all of the damage that humans do to wild lands at the heart of it, and difficult, damaged relationships as well. I mean, under the fast paced adventure and the kindness that makes the world a better place, of course.

This is an extremely well-written account of the harrowing 2018 rescue of the Thai boys' soccer team from the Tham Luong cave system. Even though I already knew how it was going to end -- because I remember all the news stories when it was happening -- I was still absolutely riveted from cover to cover.

Christina Soontornvat writes simply and cleanly, and with great heart. You can tell that she is a writer of children's books because she keeps her language conversational and easy to follow, show more with absolutely no excess. The book is well laid out as a continuous story peppered with helpful and interesting facts, such as the layout of the Tham Luong cave system, the history of Buddhism in Thailand, and the stages of hypothermia. All of Soontornvat's explanations and descriptions are so straightforward and concise that all the concepts are easy to understand and absorb.

Throughout the book there is also a current of respect that Soontornvat maintains - for the boys, for the rescuers, and for the Thai people and culture. And she creates a strong emotional connection between the reader and all the involved parties in the book. I couldn't help tearing up.

Wonderful book! I highly recommend it. It is a quick and easy read and is appropriate for tweens to adults. show less