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. This thrilling historical novel, told in journal entries, is perfect for fans of Gary Paulsen and The Downstairs Girl.
"The 28 stranded crew members need to work together harmoniously in order to have any chance of survival. With her heart still tied to the women’s suffrage movement she fought for, Clara bristles at being asked to make biscuits and mend clothing. But while she abandoned her mother as well as her American and British pro-suffrage colleagues for falling short of her ideals, she can’t abandon her crewmates. When one she refers to as the Villain attempts to rape her, Clara fights him off, badly injuring him and causing a rift in the party. And yet they must try to survive.... Polar exploration transforms a young woman in unexpected and interesting ways in this original, evocative tale." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 13 and up |
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Author | Yi Shun Lai |
ISBN | 1665937769 |
Publication Date | Feb 13, 2024 |
Publisher | Atheneum Books for Young Readers |
Language | English |