Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
This is a hell of a story, arguably more about exploitation than it is about (attempts at) survival.
A man calling himself Vilhjalmur Stefansson (born William Stephenson in Manitoba to parents who had, admittedly, immigrated from Iceland) had a pet theory that polar regions are completely safe for habitation to those with any sense who were willing to put in the effort and decided to send an expedition to prove it. Oh yeah, one branch of a previous polar expedition he'd organized (but not sailed on) ended in disaster, leaving survivors starving on the very island that he decided to try to claim for Canada/Britain. The further one gets into the details the more ludicrous this whole expedition sounds. It only got off the ground because there were still so many people in awe of polar explorers, unwilling to ask questions that might dissuade them from their starry-eyed regard.
Most of the Inuits the party tried to hire defected at the last minute, leaving only one woman, Ada Blackjack, as their cook and seamstress (important to have well-made clothing in freezing conditions). Ms Blackjack was a) desperate to earn money to care for her tubercular son and b) not well versed in the survival skills of her ancestors, having been orphaned at a young age and raised in a church orphanage. Nearly everything she needed to know to survive on Wrangel Island she learned on Wrangel Island.
When a relief party came to Wrangel Island to resupply the colonists and found that of the party of five, only Ada Blackjack remained alive (three lost in the ice, having set out for Siberia due to starvation, one disabled by and eventually dead of scurvy) not only Stefansson but the leader of the relief party--a man named Noice whose poor opinion of Stefansson was well founded--both published works that distorted the facts surrounding the failure of the expedition, Stefansson attempting to distance himself by blaming the party members for incompetence and Noice blaming first Stefansson for the foolishness of his "friendly Arctic" notion and then (possibly for the attention a scandal would bring) falsely blaming Blackjack for starving the scurvy-ridden Knight when she could have saved him. None of the party members/members' families was ever fully compensated by Stefansson.
A couple of years ago I read a book about Stefansson's previous disastrous expedition, Buddy Levy's Empire of Ice and Stone and I had been left with a bad taste in my mouth about the man--who did not stick around to assist in organizing rescue/relief for the lost Karluk because there was really nothing more he could add and instead embarked on the parallel expedition that had been set up. I figured that, ugly as it looked, maybe it was true that he'd have been no help and since media optics were a different beast back then maybe it was the right decision. However, Ada Blackjack demonstrated to me that Stefansson really was just a self-centered SOB with zero empathy or humility.
A man calling himself Vilhjalmur Stefansson (born William Stephenson in Manitoba to parents who had, admittedly, immigrated from Iceland) had a pet theory that polar regions are completely safe for habitation to those with any sense who were willing to put in the effort and decided to send an expedition to prove it. Oh yeah, one branch of a previous polar expedition he'd organized (but not sailed on) ended in disaster, leaving survivors starving on the very island that he decided to try to claim for Canada/Britain. The further one gets into the details the more ludicrous this whole expedition sounds. It only got off the ground because there were still so many people in awe of polar explorers, unwilling to ask questions that might dissuade them from their starry-eyed regard.
Most of the Inuits the party tried to hire defected at the last minute, leaving only one woman, Ada Blackjack, as their cook and seamstress (important to have well-made clothing in freezing conditions). Ms Blackjack was a) desperate to earn money to care for her tubercular son and b) not well versed in the survival skills of her ancestors, having been orphaned at a young age and raised in a church orphanage. Nearly everything she needed to know to survive on Wrangel Island she learned on Wrangel Island.
When a relief party came to Wrangel Island to resupply the colonists and found that of the party of five, only Ada Blackjack remained alive (three lost in the ice, having set out for Siberia due to starvation, one disabled by and eventually dead of scurvy) not only Stefansson but the leader of the relief party--a man named Noice whose poor opinion of Stefansson was well founded--both published works that distorted the facts surrounding the failure of the expedition, Stefansson attempting to distance himself by blaming the party members for incompetence and Noice blaming first Stefansson for the foolishness of his "friendly Arctic" notion and then (possibly for the attention a scandal would bring) falsely blaming Blackjack for starving the scurvy-ridden Knight when she could have saved him. None of the party members/members' families was ever fully compensated by Stefansson.
A couple of years ago I read a book about Stefansson's previous disastrous expedition, Buddy Levy's Empire of Ice and Stone and I had been left with a bad taste in my mouth about the man--who did not stick around to assist in organizing rescue/relief for the lost Karluk because there was really nothing more he could add and instead embarked on the parallel expedition that had been set up. I figured that, ugly as it looked, maybe it was true that he'd have been no help and since media optics were a different beast back then maybe it was the right decision. However, Ada Blackjack demonstrated to me that Stefansson really was just a self-centered SOB with zero empathy or humility.
I liked this one, but not as much as "Ice Master". The story was interesting, but not as compelling. Frankly, it was more than a little depressing and there was no payoff at the end. I like her writing style but easily half of the book was taken up with matters after Ada was rescued from the island. I just found myself getting bored in the final chapters and a bit perplexed by Ada's strange behavior. She didn't come off as likeable and I'm still not convinced that she WAS a hero. Very odd.... anyway. I'm giving this one back to my aunt. Winter's over, thank God...On to the book club pick!
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
I had not heard of Ada Blackjack before seeing this book. The story sounded interesting, and since it was on sale, I figured why not.
Blackjack was only of five people (and the only woman as well as the only Inuit) to go to Wrangel Island, a decision that seems to be an ill conceived attempt to prove a silly point as well as to gain a useless island from Russia.
Gain for the Canadians that is.
This book will make you want to find Dr Who, steal the Tardis, go back in time, and hit people upside the head.
While Blackjack was Inuit (Eskimo), she was raised in the city so the survival skills that many of people learned, she didn’t have. Her first husband was abusive, and her first son ill. She took a job as a seamstress to the men going to Wrangel Island. Once there, far from home, things went bad quickly.
It is to Niven’s credit that she doesn’t whitewash anything, though she presents it with a degree of understanding. While the men’s treatment of Blackjack at some points is reprehensible, Niven points out why the men might have saw it as necessary, even as she points out while Blackjack acted the way she did. The treatment of Blackjack after her rescue is less understandable. The best parts of the book are those chronicling Blackjack’s struggle to survive on the island, in particular her discovery of her strength.
The book does confront, though doesn’t entirely answer, questions about men and women were viewed, and the white man’s view of the Inuit, in particular of Inuit women.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
This is a story of survival, but it is really a story of heartache. Ada BlackJack was dealt a hand that she had little control over. She went to Wrangel Island with four men, but there were supposed to be other Eskimos as well. Eskimo was the term used in the book because of the time period. I don't know if she was Inuit or Yupik (there are alternate spellings), so I have been using Eskimo.
The man who set up the expedition didn't go. We learn about him and the men going. We learn about preparations and the time on the island. We learn about the aftermath as Ada BlackJack is the only survivor. All through, I'm rooting for this young woman. Her story didn't end at her rescue.
I listened to the audiobook, which didn't have the pictures or maps. It should include a PDF of them. I ended up borrowing the ebook from the library so I could see them. I'd like to give this 4.5 stars.
The man who set up the expedition didn't go. We learn about him and the men going. We learn about preparations and the time on the island. We learn about the aftermath as Ada BlackJack is the only survivor. All through, I'm rooting for this young woman. Her story didn't end at her rescue.
I listened to the audiobook, which didn't have the pictures or maps. It should include a PDF of them. I ended up borrowing the ebook from the library so I could see them. I'd like to give this 4.5 stars.
I've never met Ada but I like her. She seemed like such a sweet lady and it's heartbreaking what she went through and how she was exploited after it. Reading her story was both fascinating and melancholy. It's the sort of story that makes a person appreciate what they have. This isn't the first story I've read or heard about where some 'scientist' gets innocent people killed because they are arrogant and have no idea what they are doing. Its a shame really.
Unbalanced. The first half was as you'd expect: preparation for the journey and a recounting of life on the island. The second half was a post-rescue detailed account of the squabbling, miscommunication, and exploitation of the explorer group, its story, and its survivor. That second half was far too long and could've been 10% of the book.
Fascinating story about an incredible woman and a fun one to listen to! I found some of the details tedious but really liked being able to listen through instead of getting stuck in the details while reading. Had to skip some of the descriptions about scurvy symptoms bc they straight up made me squeamish.
Warning: do not read the chapter entitled "survival" when you are about to go to sleep and need some good rest for the next day! I slept soooo poorly last night as my mind couldn't help musing over these people's conditions.
Overall, a compelling read, but without the information about the men who went to Wrangel Island with Ada, there wouldn't have been enough to make a book about her. A valiant, feminist attempt on the author's part. Brava!
Overall, a compelling read, but without the information about the men who went to Wrangel Island with Ada, there wouldn't have been enough to make a book about her. A valiant, feminist attempt on the author's part. Brava!