But whenever I paused to think about how daunting my task was, I would feel huge waves of anxiety. Fortunately, I also dealt with very tight deadlines, so I didn’t have much time to dwell on self-doubt. The pressure I felt to do the story justice was overwhelming. It didn’t help that it dealt with perhaps the biggest news story to come out of Thailand in years, and one of the most talked about current events of my lifetime. Though I had written novels and had a background in science writing for museums, All Thirteen was my first nonfiction book. Now that my book is almost out in the world and the early reception to it has been overwhelmingly positive, I feel comfortable admitting that I was terrified to write it. As BookPage reviewer Linda Castellitto observes in her starred review of the book, Soontornvat doesn't just recount the events of the rescue, she also includes "fascinating, accessible analyses-supplemented by photos, diagrams, maps and more-of the cultural, technological, scientific and spiritual considerations that affected the rescue effort, from Buddhism to climate change to political protocol." In this essay, Soontornvat shares what the members of the Wild Boars soccer team taught her. Children's author Christina Soontornvat's first work of nonfiction, All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team, is an extraordinary feat of research and storytelling.
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