Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition

Over 175 years after Sir John Franklin and his officers and crew began their doomed expedition in search of the Northwest Passage, mystery and intrigue still surround their endeavour. Questions remain, as does a fascinated thirst for knowledge of just what happened to the 129 men who died on the expedition, having departed England amid fanfare and supreme belief in success.

Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition provides high school readers with a wealth of information about the fate of Franklin’s expedition and the men who served aboard Her Majesty’s Ships, Erebus and Terror.

Franklin left England and set out from the docks at Greenhithe, on the River Thames, to begin the Arctic expedition in May 1845. Although Franklin was the expedition commander, each of the two ships had its own captain. Francis Crozier was captain of the Terror, and James Clark Ross was captain of the Erebus. These were three talented, experienced, hardy leaders—their presence added to the Admiralty’s confidence of success.

Things progressed smoothly as the ships sailed north beyond Scotland, across to the southern reaches of Greenland, and then north along the western coastline of Greenland. Progressing beyond Baffin Bay and Baffin Island, however, was when things started to go wrong as ice began to entomb the ships. From late fall 1845 through the next three years, the expedition would make little progress, constantly shrouded by the spectre of death.

As the subtitle for the book indicates, the author Sigmund Brouwer seeks to solve and explain mysteries surrounding Franklin’s expedition. Trapped in Terror Bay is divided into 10 chapters or, as they are identified in the book, 10 episodes. The episodes—each between 14 and 18 pages—are loosely focused on one time and one corresponding geographic location of the Franklin expedition. Each episode, however, includes three sections which work together to put the particular moment into context. The first section of each episode—“Your Expedition”—is written in the second person point-of-view, an unusual but effective approach as it invites the reader to view him or herself as Francis Crozier. Readers will find this perspective engaging as it facilitates a personal connection to the tensions, challenges, and tragedies faced by the captain as he navigated the perilous and tragic journey.

The point of view then switches to third person, much more typical of nonfiction books, in the second section of each episode, “The Search Then”. This section provides a glimpse into life beyond the ships and shows how the expedition was perceived by those not onboard. One point of view Brouwer returns to often is that of Lady Jane Franklin and her desperate pleas for the British Admiralty to rescue her husband and his men. In places, the reader is provided information as to what else was happening during this period of history—rushes for gold, convict transportation to Australia, the first hippopotamus to be displayed in the London Zoo, cholera outbreaks, the invention of building elevators, and the like. Through interesting anecdotes, beautiful artistic visuals, and excerpts from key primary sources, this section illuminates important historical and scientific contexts which work to enhance the reader’s understanding of the significance of the Franklin expedition, including its successes and failures.

Finally, each episode concludes with a third section, “Of Ships and Men”, which brings this historical mystery into the present by connecting it to modern day forensics and contemporary Inuit tellers of stories passed down through the oral tradition. Here, the reader sees and, indeed, participates in an interdisciplinary approach to solving mysteries. Through the combination of seemingly antithetical elements—Inuit knowledge, historical artifacts, and forensic scientific techniques—the reader acts as sleuth to piece together this fascinating mystery. In addition to each of these three sections, each episode also presents an opportunity to apply forensic techniques to solve a mystery. That mystery is then explained (and “solved”) later in the chapter.

Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition is a book that shows the potential of bringing together contrasting elements in one’s search for truth or answers. The author draws on seeming oppositions, such as modern science and ancient ways, printed documents and oral-tradition, and western historians and Indigenous Knowledge Keepers, as he explores the mystery of the lost Franklin expedition. Just as a multidisciplinary approach can assist in solving mysteries, so, too, can a multi-genre approach enhance an author’s ability to convey an engaging mystery. Throughout, stimulating visuals, historic photographs, paintings, and maps augment the written text. Trapped in Terror Bay concludes with an extensive list of recommended resources for further study and learning, an index, and notes about the photos and illustrations. All this is presented in the attractive manner one has come to expect of Kids Can Press books.

Trapped in Terror Bay provides for readers many opportunities for learning. There is discussion of such things as technological advances of the time, the sailors’ means of navigation, “knots” as a marine speed, the icy winter conditions of the Arctic, the magnetic North Pole, the history and effects of scurvy, and Inuit survival techniques. These all provide context for a fuller understanding of Franklin’s doomed expedition, but they also add further interest and information to what is an interesting and informative book.

Trapped in Terror Bay is an excellent book, but some parts of it are easier to follow than others. The placement of supplementary information can disrupt the narrative. The current reviewers also found some of the explicative science difficult to comprehend. Sigmund Brouwer himself, seemed almost to concede the point when he wrote, “Big words, complicated technology.” His sentence conclusion, “simple results”, seemed a little inadequate. Similarly, the clues offered in the “Apply Forensic Techniques” sections did not consistently point to the answer provided. Some readers might find this disconnect frustrating and bothersome. These are mysteries almost 200 years in the making, and there were times when it seemed as if the author expected his readers to simply accept that he had, indeed, explained (and solved) each of the Franklin expedition mysteries.

Sigmund Brouwer is a talented, versatile writer. In Trapped in Terror Bay, he tackles a vast and complicated subject. For the most part, he does so in a convincing, informative, and engaging manner. Readers with interests in exploration, Inuit ways, human endurance, history, science, or the Arctic will enjoy Trapped in Terror Bay. The book conveys a tragic tale, but Brouwer tells his story in a manner that provides a fitting tribute to the heroic men who sacrificed so much and, ultimately, died horrible deaths far from home and far from the comfort of their loved ones.