*Contains no spoilers
This is the ultimate Arctic voyage novel, based on real events. The 1913 Canadian voyage on the Karluk was the worst planned arctic mission in history. The captain declared the boat unsuitable on seeing it and the crew consisted of a rag-tag bunch of wannabes with no experience in Arctic weather. The scientists on the voyage had never stepped out of a classroom.
This is Jennifer Niven’s first book and in terms of language, pacing, historical research and creating larger-than-life characters on board the ship, she has done an incredible job.
In her hands, this historical account reads like a first-rate novel and thunders along at a cracking pace. It’s really one of the better books I have read in a long time. I have never read anything in this genre before – i.e. Arctic voyages, but after reading this, I could see how these kinds of books could become addictive.
Niven deftly and expertly crafts the narrative including how the crew manage to survive in the harsh polar winter, with plenty of evocative descriptions of the quality of the wind and the cracking forboding nature of the ice breaking around them, as the Karluk is stranded and floating on a wayward ice floe.
I won’t give away any of the story here. This is really worth getting and reading if you want to envelope yourself in pure escapism of a tension-filled thriller in an inhospitable land, all from the warmth and comfort of your own sofa.
5/5*
Content Catnip 
They’re certainly looking a little miserable in that group photo. (Love all the different styles of hats though, very dapper.)
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Yes, there’s definitely a solemn sense of seriousness to them before they faced their mission. I love the hats too, I’m not sure why men stopped wearing hats like this, it definitely makes them look handsome, hopefully this fashion trend comes full circle.
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Brilliant!! I’m Going to get this for my dad. It’s completely in his wheel house. Thanks!
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Yeah it’s a good one if your dad likes arctic adventures 😊
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He’s a big reader anyways but any early nautical exploration/adventure-type book will be a hit.
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Aw brilliant, I am so glad this review was a help for his next gift 😊
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A Jennifer Niven has written several books which are in my public library. Is this Jennifer Niven related?
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Yes…it is 😊
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Wow, you have done a lot of reading of late. Good for you! I’ve been struggling finishing several books at the moment. Not enough time.
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Yeah I pretty much got rid of Netflix lately, so I spend a lot of my free time just reading, I hope you can find time to read, what about audiobooks? You can do other things and listen at the same time, I find this is a pretty amazing way of reading books as well as exercising or cleaning.
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wow jennifer niven is such a baddie! i would love to be her grandma!
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