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Overview
On October 26, 1914, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance set sail from Buenos Aires in pursuit of the last unclaimed prize in exploration: the crossing of the Antarctic continent. The crew stood on deck to watch the city fade away. All but one.
Eighteen-year-old Perce Blackborow hid below in a locker. But the thrill of stowing away with the legendary explorer would soon turn to fear. Within months, the Endurance, trapped and crushed by ice, sank. And even Perce, the youngest member of the stranded crew, knew there was no hope of rescue. If the men were to survive in the most hostile place on earth, they would have to do it on their own.
Victoria McKernan deftly weaves the hard-to-fathom facts of this famous voyage into an epic, edge-of-your-seat survival novel.
Synopsis
On October 26, 1914, Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance set sail from Buenos Aires in pursuit of the last unclaimed prize in exploration: the crossing of the Antarctic continent. The crew stood on deck to watch the city fade away. All but one.
Eighteen-year-old Perce Blackborow hid below in a locker. But the thrill of stowing away with the legendary explorer would soon turn to fear. Within months, the Endurance, trapped and crushed by ice, sank. And even Perce, the youngest member of the stranded crew, knew there was no hope of rescue. If the men were to survive in the most hostile place on earth, they would have to do it on their own.
Victoria McKernan deftly weaves the hard-to-fathom facts of this famous voyage into an epic, edge-of-your-seat survival novel.
Greg M. Romaneck - Children's Literature
In the fall of 1914 Ernest Shackleton set sail on the good ship Endurance along with a steadfast group of explorers. His goal: to reach and cross Antarctica. In an age of lethal polar expeditions Shackelton's exploration was fraught with risk. Unbeknownst to him and his crew, an eighteen-year-old lad stowed away on the Endurance in order to be part of this voyage of discovery. This lad, Perce Blackborrow, was willing to risk the wrath of Shackleton in order to illicitly join the expedition. While Blackborrow and the other explorers anticipated a rough trip they could never imagine the hardship, pain, and trauma they would encounter. Based upon the true-life story of the Shackleton expedition—and young Perce Blackborrow's role in it—this historical novel takes readers back to one of the most amazing stories of endurance known. Blending a strong narrative style with meticulous research this tale will be a joy to readers interested in survival stories. In the end, Blackborrow persevered despite the terrible suffering he and his mates were forced to endure. In telling this story as fiction Victoria McKernan brings history to life. 2005, Alfred A. Knopf, Ages 12 up.
Editorials
Children's Literature
In the fall of 1914 Ernest Shackleton set sail on the good ship Endurance along with a steadfast group of explorers. His goal: to reach and cross Antarctica. In an age of lethal polar expeditions Shackelton's exploration was fraught with risk. Unbeknownst to him and his crew, an eighteen-year-old lad stowed away on the Endurance in order to be part of this voyage of discovery. This lad, Perce Blackborrow, was willing to risk the wrath of Shackleton in order to illicitly join the expedition. While Blackborrow and the other explorers anticipated a rough trip they could never imagine the hardship, pain, and trauma they would encounter. Based upon the true-life story of the Shackleton expedition—and young Perce Blackborrow's role in it—this historical novel takes readers back to one of the most amazing stories of endurance known. Blending a strong narrative style with meticulous research this tale will be a joy to readers interested in survival stories. In the end, Blackborrow persevered despite the terrible suffering he and his mates were forced to endure. In telling this story as fiction Victoria McKernan brings history to life. 2005, Alfred A. Knopf, Ages 12 up.—Greg M. Romaneck
KLIATT
Perce Blackborow, age 18, stows away on Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance as it sets out from Buenos Aires in 1914, planning to attempt a first-ever crossing of Antarctica with its adventurous crew. Perce gets more adventure than he bargained for: after just a few months, the ship is first caught and then crushed by ice, and the men set up camp on an ice floe. "Didn't ever think about how there's so many different kinds of bad times," Perce notes glumly in his diary. In the spring, the ice floe breaks up and the men escape by lifeboat to Elephant Island, where Perce suffers from frostbite and must have part of his feet amputated. He learns from Shackleton what true bravery is: "Sometimes it's just keeping quiet when you want to fuss or being optimistic when there's no bloody hope." Shackleton is a kind and indomitable leader: he and a few others head out first by boat and then overland in a desperate and dangerous attempt to seek help, and finally, of course, all the men are safely rescued, Perce among them. As the author explains in a note at the end, Perce and all the other characters were real men, and it's clear that McKernan researched carefully in order to present her fictional tale as accurately as possible. It's a gripping and convincing tale of unimaginable misery and courage, and Perce, the youngest member of the expedition, is a sympathetic protagonist. Readers fascinated by true adventures will appreciate the material at the end, which includes a timeline, a list of the members of the expedition, and an epilogue that explains what happened afterward to each man. KLIATT Codes: JS—Recommended for junior and senior high school students. 2005, Random House,Knopf, 336p. map. bibliog., and Ages 12 to 18.—Paula Rohrlick