First published 2022
In August 1897, young Belgian commandant Adrien de Gerlache set sail aboard the Belgica toward Antarctica's uncharted territories. He dreamed of reaching the magnetic South Pole first. After costly setbacks, de Gerlache faced a choice: retreat in defeat or push deeper into freezing waters chasing fame. He chose to sail on. The Belgica became trapped in the Bellingshausen Sea's ice. When the sun disappeared for the final time, the crew faced months of endless Antarctic night. Mysterious illness struck the men. Monotony drove them toward madness in the darkness. De Gerlache increasingly relied on two young officers: American Dr. Frederick Cook, part genius and part con man, and first mate Roald Amundsen, already showing signs of his future legendary status. Together they planned a desperate escape from the ice that would either secure their place in history or doom them all.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 19th-century
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: desperate-escape, found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Antarctica, Bellingshausen Sea
Period: 1897
361 pages · Paperback · Crown
Content warnings: mental-illness