Title: A Silent Stillness: Buried Alive
Author: Diane Metivier-Hart
Publisher: Xlibris
ISBN: 1524579475
Pages: 128
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Reviewed by: Liz Konkel

Read Book Review

A Silent Stillness: Buried Alive is the extraordinary tale of Diane’s survival during the La Conchita landslide where she was trapped in her home for over four hours. While she was trapped, Diane reflected on her life from her marriages to her children and grandchildren to a few shocking moments that changed the course of her future. She explores how faith and hope came through her survival in this journey of self-reflection while also incorporating her family history and connection to La Conchita. The memoir also honors those who died in the landslide in a touching moment.

Diane Metivier-Hart explores her experiences being trapped and the fear she went through during significant moments in her life. Her experiences are rooted in the time she spent during a landslide, trapped in her own home. The landslide frames the memoir as she reflects back on her emotional state through the home that offered safety becoming a place of fear she didn’t know she would get out alive. Metivier-Hart captures the fear she went through in those moments and does so with honesty as she opens up about this traumatic time. She delves into her fear but through an out of body experience she also explores key moments in her past that led to this moment.

Through her self-reflection comes shocking reveals from her past which also explore similar feelings of being trapped and afraid. She spent time in a cult which is an eerie experience that again she maintains an open honesty about while showing the emotional state she was in at the time and the fear she experienced during. Her various experiences, be it during her time in a cult or being trapped in her own home, everything connects to theme of survival and faith which are a catalyst for how she’s able to move forward. This is an emotional story many can relate to as she loses everything and has to begin again. Though fear is a
significant theme throughout, A Silent Stillness feels more of a story of faith and beginning, survival and hope. Though sharing a truly horrific and terrifying time in her life, she somehow still weaves in a hopeful tone from her perspective looking back to her life and her recovery. Though faith plays a part in what she experienced, she’s honest about the survivor’s guilt she experienced afterwards and the struggle to recovery that followed. Metivier-Hart’s openness about her life and experiences allows for a chance to genuinely get to know her and connect with her story which will inspire others who are facing their own struggles.

Metivier-Hart also incorporates an overview of her personal life as she opens up about her marriages and how those relationships impacted her life, factoring into the changes she faced and the different hardships that were thrown their way. By being so open about the challenges she faced and how she worked through those situations is inspiring. Her honesty will have a great impact and through this be able to reach out to others. A Silent Stillness: Buried Alive is the story of a survivor told from a place of reflection and faith as Metivier-Hart looks back at the struggle, trauma, and fear, which is perfectly captured by emotional details and through the use of the stillness around her as she was alone and trapped.