THE UNDERWORLD

Mining towns are notoriously just a breath and a spark away from disaster, and Silverton, Idaho, was no different. Paul Michael Garcia narrates this fictionalized account of the aftermath of a real-life 1970s underground fire that killed 91 miners. With a sense of detachment, Garcia keeps the emotions close to his chest and the action and observations close to the bone. A new widow with two small children, a college student who lost his brother, and a miner who barely made it out alive all hop from barstool to barstool, searching for reason and new life in their shattered small town. It's a very American story, and Garcia's reading is as hard, dark, and honest as the mountains that the townsfolk depend on. B.P. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2017]