When I Fell From the Sky: The True Story of One Woman's Miraculous Survival

On Christmas Eve, 1971, 17-year-old Koepcke and her mother were flying from Lima to Pucallpa when their plane was struck by lightning during a freak storm. Catapulted from the plane two miles above the Peruvian rain forest, she landed in the jungle and miraculously survived. After regaining consciousness, she found herself alone and hurt, with a broken collarbone and a gash in her leg. Having spent a few years in the jungle during her youth, she was able to use the knowledge she had accumulated to survive, and, after an 11-day trek, she stumbled into the camp of three forest workers and was saved. Koepcke later followed in her parents' footsteps to become a zoologist, dedicating her life to realizing their dream of creating a nature preserve in Panguana. Her memoir is a gripping account of a harrowing adventure and an inspiring life. (Nov.)