Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic
New York: Hyperion. 2003. 431 pp.

Ada Blackjack is a twenty-three-year old Inuit when the four white men arrive in Nome looking for Natives to accompany them on a secret Arctic expedition. With her son suffering from tuberculosis and work hard to come by, Ada reluctantly agrees to accompany the men as a seamstress, hoping to return from the expedition with enough money saved up to take care of her ailing son. Little does she know that she will be the lone survivor of this small expedition.

It was the early 1900s, a time when polar exploration was at its height. Roald Amuldsen had navigated the northwest passage, Robert Peary had reached the North Pole, and an explorer and adventurer by the name of Viljahmur Stefannson had spent several years living amongst the Inuit of Northern Canada. It was Stefansson who organized this expedition to Wrangel Island, though he himself did not travel this time. Fully convinced that the arctic was “friendly” and easily inhabitable, he counseled the young men to take only six months worth of food supplies (despite the fact that it would be a year before a relief ship would arrive) because they would have no trouble living off the land.

Unfortunately, Stefannson was wrong. And in this tragic story of survival and struggle, a more unlikely heroine could not be found. Small and shy, Ada was raised in Nome and educated by missionaries, but possessed none of the survival skills of her ancestors. She was terrified of guns and polar bears and had never butchered game, scraped skins, or made seal pokes for food storage. When food stores ran low, three of the men left the camp to try to cross the ice to Siberia, leaving Ada to care for the member suffering from scurvy. Two years after the expedition had left Nome, a relief ship was able to make it to the island. Ada was found alone, with only a cat and corpse for company. Calling upon the ingenuity, courage, and resourcefulness of her Inuit heritage, Ada survived.

Niven’s compassionate portrayal of Ada has given a voice to a woman whom history has nearly forgotten. The book is meticulously researched, incorporating journal excerpts, newspaper articles, and letters into a seamless narrative. Ada’s strong character comes through, despite rumors that swirled around her as her story became known. Her quiet and unassuming faith – her journal was filled with statements of thankfulness despite her situation at the end – provided hope. Ada never viewed herself as a heroine or even as courageous, saying “Brave? I don’t know about that. But I would never give up hope while I’m still alive.”

For an inspirational adventure story of survival, read Ada Blackjack: A True Story of Survival in the Arctic. You’ll be glad you did.