Endurance in Antarctica (Survival Tails #2) Katrina Charman. 2018. 272 pages. [Source: Library]
First sentence: Samson panted, trying to stay cool as he kept pace with the dogs at the front of the pack. Each dog was determined to stay one step ahead of the others, trying to prove himself.
Premise/plot: The second Survival Tail book stars the [sledding] dogs for the Antarctica expedition led by Ernest Shackleton. It is narrated primarily by two dogs--Samson and Bummer. A third dog, Sally, occasionally pops in with her point of view. The novel opens in 1914--but their journey will not be a quick one, a safe one, or even remotely go according to plan. The ship, Endurance, becomes trapped/bound in sea ice--for months if not a full year. Ultimately, the ship goes down--the men do not. But what is to become of man...and beast...without a ship?
My thoughts: I have extremely mixed feelings on this one. I do. I've read up on Shackleton and the Endurance. And read up quite recently--a couple books this year alone. So I know very well what does happen to the dogs [and ship's cat]. It was not good...at all...especially from their point of view. So the author has had to lie for about eighty percent of this book. The focus is almost exclusively on the dogs. And so if you are curious about the human explorers...this isn't for you.
© 2022 Becky Laney of Young Readers
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