Trapped in Terror Bay by Sigmund Brouwer

Trapped in Terror Bay takes readers into the mystery of the ill-fated Arctic voyage of the Franklin Expedition, 1845.

Trapped in Terror Bay: Solving the Mystery of the Lost Franklin Expedition by Sigmund Brouwer. Kids Can Press, 2022, 155 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

The quest

What nonfiction fan could resist a title like that? The Franklin Expedition, launched in 1845, was one of many attempts to find a “Northwest Passage” from the Atlantic to the Pacific, a quest that had consumed European nations ever since the discovery of North America. Speculators were not wrong about the existence of a northwest passage, but fatally wrong about the challenges posed by ice packs and double-digit-below-zero temperatures. Technological advances of the 19^th century appeared to balance out the difficulties: steam power, ironclad hulls, and canned food to sustain the crew through the long winter season. But technology still had lessons to learn, and they were learned the hard way when the expedition, consisting of two ships and 129 men, vanished in the Arctic wild.

Solving a Mystery

The story rolls out in several perspectives. The primary narrative thread is in second person, present tense, where “you” assume the identity of Captain Francis Crozier, commander of the HMS Terror, recording thoughts and fears as the expedition grinds toward its tragic conclusion. A second historical thread, in third person, takes up attempts to discover what happened to the ships and crew shortly after they disappeared. A third narrative covers contemporary discoveries about the expedition, combining Inuit recollections with forensic science. Each chapter represents a stage of the expedition told through Crozier’s imagined impressions, England’s response, and modern discoveries, followed by a historical “mystery” in which the reader is challenged to solve using forensic science. These appear at first to have no connection to the Franklin saga, but by the end small discoveries will help provide a solution to the central mystery.

This is an interesting approach (as opposed to straightforward historical narrative) designed to get the reader involved in discovery. Some readers will eat it up; others may be a bit disoriented at first. As one of the latter, I’m not sure how effective the technique is, but the story fascinating in itself, although grim and sad. At the very least, readers should appreciate the many technological advances since the mid-19^th century that have made ordinary life much less hazardous.

Consideration:

• Note the “grim and sad”; also two photos of dead sailors recovered from the ice, intact but with distorted facial features, may be disturbing to sensitive readers.

Overall Rating: 3.75 (out of 5)

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Read more about our ratings here.                 

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: For other chilling true-life adventures, see our reviews of Race to the Bottom of the Earth and Shackleton: Antarctic Odyssey.
• Resource: Our “Learning to Lead” mega-booklist recommends lots of books on qualities of leadership, including in desperate situaiton.

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