Description

A teen’s fight for suffrage turns into one of survival when her crew’s Antarctic expedition ship gets stuck in the ice in this historical novel told in journal entries perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen and The Downstairs Girl.

November 1914.

Clara Ketterling-Dunbar is one of twenty-eight crew members of The Resolute-a ship meant for an Antarctic expedition now marooned on ice one hundred miles from the shore of the continent. An eighteen-year-old American, Clara has told the crew she’s a twenty-one-year-old Canadian. Since the war broke out, sentiment toward Americans has not been the most favorable, and Clara will be underestimated enough simply for being a woman without also giving away just how young she is. Two members of the crew know her nationality, but no one knows the truth of her activities in England before The Resolute set sail.

She and her suffragist sisters in the Women’s Social & Political Union were waging war of a different kind in London. They taught Clara to fight. And now, even marooned on the ice, she won’t stop fighting for women’s rights…or for survival. In the wilderness of Antarctica, Clara is determined to demonstrate what a woman is truly capable of-if the crew will let her.

Publisher Review

A Junior Library Guild Selection “As a character, Clara feels modern but not anachronistic; she’s wrestling with social issues that continue to resonate today, and her strong voice propels readers through an adventure as compelling as Shackleton’s own to a heartfelt, realistic conclusion. Polar exploration transforms a young woman in unexpected and interesting ways in this original, evocative tale.” — Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW “A young woman joins an Antarctic voyage at the dawning of World War I in this gripping–and sometimes gut-wrenching–adventure tale. . . Lai showcases her incredible skills as a storyteller. . .. Witty and poignant commentary on unimaginable peril and infuriating injustice (plus some vengeance) ensures that this historical fiction will be long remembered.”

— Shelf Awareness, STARRED REVIEW “Clara is a defiant and resilient heroine who immediately endears herself to both the reader and her motley crew. As tension mounts and survival becomes uncertain, Lai neatly underscores the courage it took-and still takes-to be a woman in a male-dominated world.” — Publishers Weekly “Lai successfully blends the events of Ernest Shackleton’s Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition with the social climate of the suffragist movement in 1914 and pairs it with a sharp-witted, charismatic narrator who readers can easily root for.” — The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books “A great historical adventure for young adults, told in journal entries. This book would appeal to readers looking for a strong female role model and would be a welcome [addition for] libraries serving teens.” — School Library Journal