Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic

What a story that could have very easily never been committed to paper. This memorable little lady could survive the brutal conditions on the island but struggled to find a life amongst society.

Based on historical documents, journal entries, newspaper articles and interviews, Jennifer Niven tells the story of the members of the Wrangel Island Expedition of 1921. The title of the book is somewhat misleading. Ada is but one on the expedition, the others being 4 ambitious young men who set out to find adventure and glory at the prompting of Vilhjalmur Stefansson, an explorer who had retired years earlier and earned his income from telling tales of his adventures. Also on the expedition were 6 sled dogs and a “lucky” cat, Vic.Although Ada Blackjack was an Inuit, she was a “city Eskimo”, that is, she was raised like most any other city-folk. She did not know how to hunt or trap or fish or fend for herself. What she did know was how to sew and how to cook. It was for these reasons that she was asked to accompany the men on the expedition She agreed to go because she had a young son, sick with tuberculosis, and she needed money - the job paid well ($50/month). Ada is about one-fifth of the story which also tells the stories of each of the men on the journey, their backgrounds and their dreams. We learn that Stefansson had misled these adventurers and their families about the risks of their journey by insisting that the Arctic was completely habitable as well as to his true purpose of the expedition (which was more a dream than a reality).In 1923 Ada was the only original member of the expedition rescued from the Island. She had survived over 2 months on her own, having taught herself to hunt and fish and build a fire. For months before that she cared for Knight, who was ill, and needed constant care. Knight was known to have perished and the 3 other men were missing, having left the campsite months earlier in search of provisions. For years Ada refused to speak of her experience.The book is well written and well researched. I found it to be interesting although it is very detailed and, at times, repetitive. I wished the book had focused more on Ada, since the idea of a woman explorer in the 1920s is what drew me to it. Still, Ada Blackjack: True Story of Survival in the Arctic is a remarkable tale of will and survival. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I didn't have a particular interest in the subject--I read it because I'm informally tutoring someone in English and _she_ picked it out because it was interesting to _her._ (She had just read Jon Krakauer's "Into the Wild.")It was enthralling. Outstanding. The best book I've read in 2020.Niven tells the story of the 1921 Wrangel Island expedition, a foolish effort to claim a worthless island for Canada. The party included four men, and Inuit woman Ada Blackjack, brought as cook and seamstress. The relief ship that was supposed to resupply them was blocked by ice, there was not enough food, three men left hoping to reach civilization on foot. Lorne Knight and Ada Blackjack were left, but Knight was soon incapacitated by scurvy leaving Ada Blackjack to support both of them, and slowly died.14% of the book is endnotes, and her list of sources is extensive. It includes dozens of interview with children and family members. She had access to written journals kept by most of the expedition members, including Ada Blackjack. The story is skillfully written. I have to think that she supplied plausible details in the interest of the story, although I also have the impression that every direct quotation is sourced. Truman Capote used the term "nonfiction novel" for one of his books, and I think the term fits this book, too.Don't expect a story of uplifting triumph. The book left me feeling melancholy. Ada's life, for example, is not unspeakably sad, but neither is it triumphant. She could have been treated much better than she was. What she desperately wanted was a good life for her children, and she partly succeeded. For her, the purpose of the trip was to earn money to get her son treated for tuberculosis. She did, and he was, but he did not enjoy good health and died at age 58. In a way, this is what I mean when I describe the book as "human." This book is full of the real texture of real lives.The book is not sharply focussed on Ada Blackjack. It treats all five of the expedition members with almost equal emphasis, although there is more about her because we know more about what she did during the second year on the island.The author has to deal with disputed and contradictory stories, and for the most part deals with them by not trying to resolve them. Two characters in the book, Vilhjalmur Stefansson and Harold Noice, rival each other for unpleasant nastiness. She tells a complex story in detail. But these two are both unreliable narrators, to say the least! Noice actually removed pages from Knight's journals in order to create a false impression that he was protecting Knight's reputation by excising accounts of scandalous behavior. Yes. Noice did that.At the moment, what sticks with me are her account of what a Chautauqua was like; of Ada, terrified of guns, teaching herself to shoot; Knight's horrifying slow death from scurvy; and the unspeakable sadness of shy, reserved Ada's return to civilization--pestered by reporters, alternatively lionized as a heroine and accused of being responsible for Knight's death. And getting stiffed by Stefansson on money payments she was entitled to.As I read this review, I'm bothered by the fact that as I read it, it doesn't sound like a book I would like. But I did, I liked it immensely, Niven did a magnificent job.

I enjoyed this book, written well

I have wanted to read this book for a while so really happy to have it there all ready for when I get time. It was in really good order and I would definatly recommend and use this company again.

Excellent account of a piece of Arctic history

Wow! This was a very interesting read!So much to wrap one’s head around in the experiences of all concerned.A tragedy for all but one...and the one was the least likely to have survived.Good history lesson regarding social, cultural, political manipulation...How people get caught up in an ideal...while not quite grasping the hard reality of what they are signing on for.

Lovely writing, fascinating history really brought to life.