Scan barcode
A review by heykellyjensen
A Suffragist's Guide to the Antarctic by Yi Shun Lai
Clara is an 18-year-old American and the only woman aboard The Resolute, an Antarctic expedition originating from Britain. When the ship is stuck on ice, she and the rest of the crew must survive and find their way to safety. To keep herself occupied in the long hours between attempts to find safety, food, and help, Clara begins to write a guidebook/diary to help guide any future female explorers of the great white continent.
There are some things that her fellow crew mates don't know, including that Clara is American. They believe her to be Canadian. It's 1914 and anti-American sentiments are high because of the burgeoning war. She's also a Pankhurst-trained suffragist. Throughout the story, it becomes clear this training will be what she needs to survive not just the environment, but the realities of being the only woman on the trip.
Though there is a lot of heavy stuff in this book, it's ultimately lighter in fare and full of humor from Clara. We get to know her backstory in pieces, including what her life as a young woman in Pennsylvania looked like and what drove her to seek out becoming a suffragist trained in the UK, as opposed to in her own country. Bits and pieces of that training and passion come out as part of the survival, and ultimately, Clara finds herself needing to decide which passion is dearer to her: this expedition or securing the vote for women.
A rock-solid survival story, this book is fun, engaging, and one that felt fresh. Clara is a well-drawn and complex character, even if some times her language or thought processes feel a little too modern for the historical setting–in some ways that actually makes sense, given her own background and experiences.
Note: there is an attempted rape scene in the story to know about, as well as the death of several animals (all of which are warranted/expected as a consequence of this being a survival tale).
There are some things that her fellow crew mates don't know, including that Clara is American. They believe her to be Canadian. It's 1914 and anti-American sentiments are high because of the burgeoning war. She's also a Pankhurst-trained suffragist. Throughout the story, it becomes clear this training will be what she needs to survive not just the environment, but the realities of being the only woman on the trip.
Though there is a lot of heavy stuff in this book, it's ultimately lighter in fare and full of humor from Clara. We get to know her backstory in pieces, including what her life as a young woman in Pennsylvania looked like and what drove her to seek out becoming a suffragist trained in the UK, as opposed to in her own country. Bits and pieces of that training and passion come out as part of the survival, and ultimately, Clara finds herself needing to decide which passion is dearer to her: this expedition or securing the vote for women.
A rock-solid survival story, this book is fun, engaging, and one that felt fresh. Clara is a well-drawn and complex character, even if some times her language or thought processes feel a little too modern for the historical setting–in some ways that actually makes sense, given her own background and experiences.
Note: there is an attempted rape scene in the story to know about, as well as the death of several animals (all of which are warranted/expected as a consequence of this being a survival tale).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault