Shakleton’s Stowaway by Victoria Mckernan
by Sam Arnold-Boyd on Nov.25, 2007, under Adult Read, Adventure, Historical Fiction, Sam's Reviews, YRCA
Who would like this book? Adults and teens who love adventure, specifically the harrowing story of survival of Ernest Shackleton and the crew of the Endurance in the ill-fated attempt to cross the Antarctic in 1914.
Why? I’ve been mesmerized by the survival of Shackleton and his men since reading Caroline Alexander’s 1998 nonfiction account in The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antactic Expedition, so I was excited about reading this fictionalized account. I was not disappointed, and I found it amazing that as I finished reading it, a cruise ship retracing Shackleton’s journey hit an iceberg and sunk! If Shackleton catches your interest, don’t miss Mckernan’s well-researched and well-written tale from the point of view of young Perce Blackbarrow. Perce really was a stowaway on the Endurance, and his experiences are an excellent way to capture the excruciating events as they struggle to survive and the vivid personalities of the crew. Once I was halfway through the book, I couldn’t put it down (even though I know what happened), and I was blubbering at the end. The men are so stoic, somebody has to cry! I highly recommend this book.
The details: 336 p 2005 (Hardback); 317 p. 2006 (Paperback)
