Publisher's summary
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A harrowing, moving memoir of the 1972 plane crash that left its survivors stranded on a glacier in the Andes—and one man’s quest to lead them all home
“In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for seventy-two days after having been given up for dead.”—Jon Krakauer, author of Into the Wild
“In the first hours there was nothing, no fear or sadness, just a black and perfect silence.”
Nando Parrado was unconscious for three days before he woke to discover that the plane carrying his rugby team to Chile had crashed deep in the Andes, killing many of his teammates, his mother, and his sister. Stranded with the few remaining survivors on a lifeless glacier and thinking constantly of his father’s grief, Parrado resolved that he could not simply wait to die. So Parrado, an ordinary young man with no particular disposition for leadership or heroism, led an expedition up the treacherous slopes of a snowcapped mountain and across forty-five miles of frozen wilderness in an attempt to save his friends’ lives as well as his own.
Decades after the disaster, Parrado tells his story with remarkable candor and depth of feeling. Miracle in the Andes, a first-person account of the crash and its aftermath, is more than a riveting tale of true-life adventure; it is a revealing look at life at the edge of death and a meditation on the limitless redemptive power of love.
Critic reviews
"Miracle in the Andes is an astonishing account of an unimaginable ordeal. In straightforward, staggeringly honest prose, Nando Parrado tells us what it took—and what it actually felt like—to survive high in the Andes for 72 days after having been given up for dead. If you pick this book up, you will not be able to put it down.” —Jon Krakauer, author of Under the Banner of Heaven, Into Thin Air, and Into the Wild
“Unlike the cloud that obscured the mountainside, there is no haze enshrouding the meaning of life for Nando Parrado. It was in the love for his father that Nando found the motivation to survive for over two months on a Chilean glacier. As he makes his unbelievable traverse of the Andes, Nando also demonstrates the depth of his courage, faith, and perseverance that help him later transform his losses into a source of inspiration for others. Connecting our struggles to his, we readers can use Nando as our beacon and see that there is a way out of our ‘own personal Andes.’” —Aron Ralston, author of Between a Rock and a Hard Place
“Miracle in the Andes is an extraordinary book. Everybody’s philosophical hypotheticals were Nando Parrado’s real life experiences. Would I survive an aircrash? Could I eat human flesh? Would a horrific and life-threatening event affect my religious beliefs? In the end, this account benefits enormously from the maturity that time allows. It is a beautifully written and moving story.” —Peter Hillary, author of In the Ghost Country: A Lifetime Spent on the Edge
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What listeners say about Miracle in the Andes
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 09-14-08
Leadership
Real life example of what it takes to be a leader - courage, perseverance, compassion, dedication. An inspiring story for all leaders.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 12-28-21
Best audiobook I’ve listened to so far
This book will have you in tears within the first hour. Incredible first-hand account of a harrowing story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Stephen
- 04-05-20
Outstanding Story of Bravery
If you like survival stories, such as Unbroken, you'll like this one. It's a legit 5-star book, and I highly recommend it. I had seen the movie Alive, but that movie left me with so many questions, especially about Nando and Roberto's big climb. If you want more of those details, this book has them. I will say that the last 2 hours are unnecessary, though the last ~20 minutes where Nando is interviewed is interesting. I would almost dock the book a star for the last 2 hours (1/5 of the book!), but the story up until then is so incredible, that I'll keep it at 5 stars.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gail Peters
- 01-29-24
Riveting personal story
Tale of human endurance that is incredible and uplifting. A story of how people survive anything.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeff
- 03-28-12
A STAND OUT STUNNER!
If you've read " alive" and so think this isn't worth reading, your making a BIG mistake. If you think this book will just be depressing - your making a BIG mistake. If you think this will be a poorly written rehash of the story - again, mistake.
What this is, is one of the greatest story's of survival ever told - and Unlike "Alive" this book has been Written by the leader and savior of the group 30 yrs or so after the incident.
What kept coming up in my mind as I was reading this was how well it was written. This is such a remarkable almost unbelievable story! Finally being told by the leader of those remarkable band of brothers who endured the unendurable. Just incredible stuff. Highest rating!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Charles
- 07-15-06
Most Highly Recommended
Even if you saw the movie or read the book Alive, which I did not, Miracle In The Andes is an emotionally wrenching and intellectually challenging literary event you will never forget. It is a story of both action and character. It will make you think about life, and death, and love, and God, all the greatest literary themes, as only the best literature can. Nando Parrado is someone we can all learn from. A joyously excellent and timeless read for both men and women, most highly recommended.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Cindy
- 05-30-18
An absolutely moving story
I have lost count how many times I cried listening to this book. And when I thought I couldn’t cry anymore, the Epilogue made me cry!!!!! Highly, highly recommend. It’s an unbelievable story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aaron Logan
- 09-05-20
We All Experience Significant Struggle & Continue
Incredible story of struggle and persistence and determination to continue. Receiving the tale through the eyes and psyque of Nando was fantastic. The performance by the narrator was quite impressive too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- alkrist
- 08-06-21
Unbelievable & 'Inspiratiional
This book, a true STORY written by a participant, was so intriguing I listened to it cover to cover in 1 day. It will break your heart then restore it just as quickly. DEFINITELY WORTH READING!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- John Thompson
- 07-22-23
Fantastic
An amazing account of his struggles in the mountains. An unbelievable but true story. Highly recommend.
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