A young woman joins an Antarctic voyage at the dawning of World War I in this gripping--and sometimes gut-wrenching--adventure tale.
Eighteen-year-old Clara Ketterling-Dunbar is enraged at the pivot the women's suffrage movement has taken to serve the war effort instead of doubling down on women gaining their rightful place in society. Her response is to sign on to a "cockamamie" cross-Antarctic expedition. Her journal-style guide is addressed to the women she expects will follow in her footsteps, breaking into the man's world of exploration. The sole female among 28 crew members, white Clara hopes to be treated as an equal, to "finally be seen as a person, instead of a mere gender." Not surprisingly, equality isn't exactly what she gets.
Clara reports on the range of treatment she receives from her seagoing compatriots, including kindness, condescension, mockery, and even brutality. She also describes the necessary horrors--like slaughtering dogs and penguins--involved in staying alive, as well as the wonders of the landscape: "everything is so bright, nearer to magic and fairyland than I've ever experienced."
In her first work for young adults, Yi Shun Lai (Not a Self-Help Book) showcases her incredible skills as a storyteller. A Suffragist's Guide to the Antarctic, modeled on the 1914 Shackleton expedition, adds context to the historic event with a compelling new element: women's roles and experiences in Edwardian times. Maps and an author's note provide background and resources. Witty and poignant commentary on unimaginable peril and infuriating injustice (plus some vengeance) ensures that this historical fiction will be long remembered. --Emilie Coulter, freelance writer and editor