The White Darkness

November 15, 2018

Grann (Killers of the Flower Moon, an LJ Best Book) tells the story of an explorer's obsession with Antarctica that tested the limits of human endurance while captivating a nation. Henry Worsley was a British Special Forces officer whose fascination with legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton inspired the idea of finishing the journey his hero was unable to complete: reaching the South Pole by foot. Worsley completed this difficult feat by carrying hundreds of pounds of supplies through gale-force winds and sub-zero temperatures. His first polar expedition in 2008, with two descendants from Shackleton's team, marked the 100th anniversary of Shackleton's attempt. Worsley continued to feed his fascination by setting off on other polar adventures, which culminated in a solo, unassisted trek across the icy continent that tested him in difficult ways. Similar to Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption and David Roberts's Alone on the Ice, Grann's work solidifies Worsley as one of the great leaders and explorers of the modern age while also providing a fresh narrative of Shackleton's accomplishments. VERDICT This gripping and intimate story of adventure will appeal to Grann's fans and a wide general audience. [See Prepub Alert, 4/23/18.]--David Miller, Farmville P.L., NC

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