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CM . . . . Volume XXII Number 13 . . . . November 27, 2015
excerpt:
Peter Griffin is the ship's boy aboard The Fox, departing London in the year 1857 in search of his uncle, Sir John Franklin, and the two ship, 28-man expedition he led in search of the Northwest Passage. Twelve years earlier, his uncle had sailed from England to complete the search for the Northwest Passage through the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific. But Franklin and the entire expedition vanished without a trace. As ship's boy, Peter is responsible for mundane and dirty tasks that none of the sailors want. Washing, cleaning, emptying toilet buckets, and serving food are Peter's routine aboard the ship. Peter also finds himself apprentice to the ship's stoker, doctor, sail maker and quartermaster. When Peter's keen eye sees the ship safely through an ice jam, Captain McClintock also has him trained up in mapping, tides and navigation. The ship has also taken on Anton, an Inuit from Greenland, to take care of the dogs and act as interpreter. He has also passed this information along to Peter, as well as how to build an ice-hut. The two are close in age and find each other endlessly fascinating as they discuss the oddities of each other's culture. Speculation as to what happened to Franklin's expedition has led dozens of search parties across the Arctic. Why did they abandon the ship and drag a boat across the ice? Natives have told stories of white men escaping a sinking ship and dragging a boat across the ice. But one fact keeps niggling at Peter: why would the starving, sickly crew have taken silverware, lightning rods and iron stoves in a heavy, wooden boat with them? As the search proceeds, the crew interview the native Inuit as they engage them in trading, hoping to discover clues or possibly even salvage from the sunken ships. Gradually a picture forms as to the route Franklin may have taken. Despite efforts to stave off scurvy, an increasing number of crew have taken mysteriously ill, and Peter and Ivan, in recognition of their breadth of knowledge of the area and survival skills, are chosen to continue on. Godfrey has painted a vivid picture of the bleak North as well as to what daily life in a ship would have been like all of those years ago. Throughout the novel, Peter works through all of the clues that somehow must fit together. He doesn't necessarily believe what everyone else assumes to be true, and he proposes a theory that no-one else has that might explain what happened. Peter has had several birthdays aboard The Fox, and his first shave. He is an engaging hero with a keen interest in every facet of life, including Ivan's culture. This page-turner quickly builds to a suspenseful conclusion and will prove a satisfying read to tweens while also being a fascinating introduction into the first and greatest Canadian mystery. "Further Reading" titles are provided at the back of the book for those whose curiosity has been piqued. An "Author's Note" self-identifies this novel as "fiction for a young audience and not a scholarly account." An exciting update by award-winning author Ken McGoogan provides details on the recent discovery of one of the lost ships. Martyn Godfrey began his writing career while still a teacher. Winner of the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Mystery in the Frozen Lands, Godfrey became one of Canada's most popular writers of fiction for young people. Recommended. Chris Laurie is an Outreach Librarian at the Winnipeg Public Library. Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
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