Marooned in the Arctic: The True Story of Ada Blackjack, the "Female Robinson Crusoe" (15) (Women of Action)

A Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 2017 In 1921, four men ventured into the Arctic for a top-secret expedition: an attempt to claim uninhabited Wrangel Island in northern Siberia for Great Britain. With the men was a young Inuit woman named Ada Blackjack, who had signed on as cook and seamstress to earn money to care for her sick son. Conditions soon turned dire for the team when they were unable to kill enough game to survive. Three of the men tried to cross the frozen Chukchi Sea for help but were never seen again, leaving Ada with one remaining team member who soon died of scurvy. Determined to be reunited with her son, Ada learned to survive alone in the icy world by trapping foxes, catching seals, and avoiding polar bears. After she was finally rescued in August 1923, after two years total on the island, Ada became a celebrity, with newspapers calling her a real “female Robinson Crusoe.” The first young adult book about Blackjack’s remarkable story, Marooned in the Arctic includes sidebars on relevant topics of interest to teens, including the use cats on ships, the phenomenon known as Arctic hysteria, and aspects of Inuit culture and beliefs. With excerpts from diaries, letters, and telegrams; historic photos; a map; source notes; and a bibliography, this is an indispensible resource for any young adventure lover, classroom, or library. In 1921, four men ventured into the ARctic for a top-secret expedition: an attempt to claim an uninhabited island in Siberia for Great Britain. With the men was a 23-year-old Inuit woman named Ada Balckjack, who had signed on as a seamstress to earn money to care for her sick son. Conditions soon turned dire for the team when they were unable to kill enough game to survive. Three of the men tried to cross the frozen sea for help but were never seen again, leaving Ada with one ill team member who soon died of scurvey. Marooned in the Arctic details Ada's gradual transformation from a lonely, frightened young woman whose erratic behavior distrubed the expedition to a calm, hard-working, and integral member of the team who served not only as seamstress but also cook, dishwasher, look-out, and eventually nurse to her dying companion. Though it all Ada sometimes despairing but never gave up. She learned to survive in the icy world, teaching herself to trap and shoot animals, building a crude boat that allowered her to seal-hunt among the icy floes, and crafting a stove from old cans she cut and hammered togehter. Finally rescue3d in August 1923, after two months alone and two years total on the island, Ada became a celebrity, with newspapers calling her a "female Robinson Crusoe." As it turns out, however, rescue only brought new travails as she was unfairly vilified and had to fight to clear her name. Packed with sidebars on relevant topics such as cats on ships, Arctic hysteria, and Inuit culture and beliefs; excerpts from diaries, letters, and telegrams; historic photos; a map; source notes; and a bibliography, Marooned in the Arctic is an indispensable resource for any young adventure lover, classroom, or library. -- From dust jacket Cover Title Page Copyright Contents Author’s Note Map 1 IN THE BEGINNING Meet Vilhjalmur Stefansson 2 SETTLING ON THE ISLAND Meet Milton Galle 3 CHANGING WINDS Meet Lorne Knight 4 FADING HOPES Meet Allan Crawford 5 TREACHEROUS TREKS Meet Frederick Maurer 6 OH FOR A BEAR! 7 DOWNWARD SPIRAL 8 RESCUE! 9 CONFLICT AND CONFUSION AFTERWORD Acknowledgments Notes Sources