Niven, Jennifer. Ada Blackjack; the true story of survival in the Arctic.

NIVEN, Jennifer. Ada Blackjack; the true story of survival in the Arctic. Hyperion. 431p. illus. maps. notes, c2003.0-7868-8746-X. $14.95. SA

Vilhjalmur Stefansson, following the Chautauqua circle in 1920, depicted the Arctic as a friendly and hospitable place to those who learned how to live there. He was cagey about the fact that he had led an expedition in which many men had died, clearly due in part to his negligence. Along the way, he recruited four men (one of whom had been with him that fatal time and should have known better) for another go at Wrangel Island, this time to establish its ownership by Canada. The party, which set out in 1921, felt the need for a seamstress who could create and repair the skin clothing so essential to keeping the storms and low temperatures at bay. They took along a 23-year-old "city" Eskimo woman, Ada Blackjack, whose husband had abandoned her and their young son.

This book is primarily Ada's story. Niven used her haltingly written diary, newspaper articles, a book in which Stefansson mentions her, and other records to recreate her two years in the Arctic. In this improbable, heroic tale of survival, we see Ada caring for the last man through his death struggle and doing what she had to do to keep herself alive. This reviewer also read and reviewed The Ice Master: The Doomed 1913 Voyage of the Karluk, also by Jennifer Niven, and recommends both well-written books to the many readers who can't get enough of polar survival stories. Edna Boardman, Bismarck, ND

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code help librarian and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.