Good Reads / Community Library Notes
The Arctic Fury
Greer Macallister
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Arctic Fury
Greer Macallister
Review by Priscilla Comen
The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister, my favorite book of the year, is about Virginia Reeve told in exquisite prose with taut suspense. Virginia was with the Donner party whose events of hunger shocked the world. Miss Reeve had led a group of 563 people on a wagon train through a pass to California. Now Lady Jane Franklin hires her to lead an expedition of women to find her husband in the arctic.
We learn about her trial in Massachusetts Superior Court in 1856 where Virginia is on trial for murder of Caprice Collins, a native daughter of Boston. Virginia does not show her feelings, her anger, the regret she feels about Caprice and definitely not her fear.
After her interview with Lady Franklin in an elegant hotel, she’s excited about the expedition to the Arctic. A man named Brooks will take care of everything. He traces on a map her route for four months in and out. Nine women have been chosen and she may choose the other three. Althea Porter and Elba Green are the wives of Franklin’s officers and she’s expected at Miss Collin’s house immediately.
The newspapers call her the “Arctic fury.” The first witness is the butler at the home of Caprice Collin’s father. To Virginia this is like a play with well-rehearsed actors. Caprice says her father’s money is making the expedition possible. She’s arrogant and hostile to Virginia, and she wants to see the north. Virginia explains the hardships they will face; no ballrooms or dancing it will be the hardest thing they’ve ever done. Virginia tells her she may never come back if she disobeys her.
In the Boston jail her lawyer says he wants her to tell the truth but will not put her on the stand. Her word is no good and there are no witnesses to Caprice’s death. Her partners are Dove, who showed the utmost heroism on the battlefield. The group includes a journalist and an illustrator, Irene Charter who lived in Canadian territory and is familiar with Indian languages. Ann Montgomery breeds and trains sled dogs. Virginia goes to a map shop at the harbor named Roset’s and meets Doro who knows a lot about maps. She invites her on the expedition.
Caprice’s father is the next witness and he paints a glowing picture of her. Another partner is Siobhan who impersonates her twin brother Sean. Virginia says the expedition is only for women and Sean says he has a twin sister who would like to go with them.
Virginia thinks about Ames, a good man who was on the Bonner expedition, and had fallen over the edge of a mountain pass to his death. Caprice insists on bringing her maid Elizabeth to wait on her, bringing the number of women to an unlucky thirteen. Author Macallister causes the reader to wonder what will cause Virginia to hang? Virginia works with Captain Malcolm to board the Doria to take them to the Arctic. Ten sled dogs arrive and Ann takes them to their quarters, as the ship’s mate, Keane, objects but is over-ruled by Ann and the growling dogs. Virginia hates her attorney who never objects to the prosecutor when he should and could.
Dove is the next witness who was on her way to nurse the wounded in Crimea. By the third day on the Doria the women started to change: Dove and Siobhan began to hate each other as Virginia and Caprice had; Ann stayed with the dogs, Elba and Althea strolled on the deck arm in arm. Christabel was flying in the upper rigging with the boys of the crew. Suddenly she fell, landing on the deck with a thud. The men declare there’s a thief on board, things have gone missing. The men will search the women to find the thief. When Stella’s skirts are lifted, Virginia sees a pregnant belly. Is it from the young man of the family she was employed by?
Virginia sees Captain Malcolm in the courtroom and recalls picturing his handsome brown body on the boat.
After they reach land, eight women go by land, four remain on board. Margaret, the journalist, throws her pages into the water, later regretting her decision. On the trek north the women walk and eat while walking and stop for sleep at night, huddled under a tarp with the dogs to keep them warm. They shoot game for their food.
Back at the trial, Virginia says she wants to testify. Her new attorney Mason agrees, and she takes the stand in a delicate dress Althea brought to her. She answers questions truthfully. How does the trial end? Does Virginia hang? What really did happen to Caprice and does Virginia know? Was she with Caprice when she died?
Find out in this fascinating historical novel on the fiction shelf of your local library.
We learn about her trial in Massachusetts Superior Court in 1856 where Virginia is on trial for murder of Caprice Collins, a native daughter of Boston. Virginia does not show her feelings, her anger, the regret she feels about Caprice and definitely not her fear.
After her interview with Lady Franklin in an elegant hotel, she’s excited about the expedition to the Arctic. A man named Brooks will take care of everything. He traces on a map her route for four months in and out. Nine women have been chosen and she may choose the other three. Althea Porter and Elba Green are the wives of Franklin’s officers and she’s expected at Miss Collin’s house immediately.
The newspapers call her the “Arctic fury.” The first witness is the butler at the home of Caprice Collin’s father. To Virginia this is like a play with well-rehearsed actors. Caprice says her father’s money is making the expedition possible. She’s arrogant and hostile to Virginia, and she wants to see the north. Virginia explains the hardships they will face; no ballrooms or dancing it will be the hardest thing they’ve ever done. Virginia tells her she may never come back if she disobeys her.
In the Boston jail her lawyer says he wants her to tell the truth but will not put her on the stand. Her word is no good and there are no witnesses to Caprice’s death. Her partners are Dove, who showed the utmost heroism on the battlefield. The group includes a journalist and an illustrator, Irene Charter who lived in Canadian territory and is familiar with Indian languages. Ann Montgomery breeds and trains sled dogs. Virginia goes to a map shop at the harbor named Roset’s and meets Doro who knows a lot about maps. She invites her on the expedition.
Caprice’s father is the next witness and he paints a glowing picture of her. Another partner is Siobhan who impersonates her twin brother Sean. Virginia says the expedition is only for women and Sean says he has a twin sister who would like to go with them.
Virginia thinks about Ames, a good man who was on the Bonner expedition, and had fallen over the edge of a mountain pass to his death. Caprice insists on bringing her maid Elizabeth to wait on her, bringing the number of women to an unlucky thirteen. Author Macallister causes the reader to wonder what will cause Virginia to hang? Virginia works with Captain Malcolm to board the Doria to take them to the Arctic. Ten sled dogs arrive and Ann takes them to their quarters, as the ship’s mate, Keane, objects but is over-ruled by Ann and the growling dogs. Virginia hates her attorney who never objects to the prosecutor when he should and could.
Dove is the next witness who was on her way to nurse the wounded in Crimea. By the third day on the Doria the women started to change: Dove and Siobhan began to hate each other as Virginia and Caprice had; Ann stayed with the dogs, Elba and Althea strolled on the deck arm in arm. Christabel was flying in the upper rigging with the boys of the crew. Suddenly she fell, landing on the deck with a thud. The men declare there’s a thief on board, things have gone missing. The men will search the women to find the thief. When Stella’s skirts are lifted, Virginia sees a pregnant belly. Is it from the young man of the family she was employed by?
Virginia sees Captain Malcolm in the courtroom and recalls picturing his handsome brown body on the boat.
After they reach land, eight women go by land, four remain on board. Margaret, the journalist, throws her pages into the water, later regretting her decision. On the trek north the women walk and eat while walking and stop for sleep at night, huddled under a tarp with the dogs to keep them warm. They shoot game for their food.
Back at the trial, Virginia says she wants to testify. Her new attorney Mason agrees, and she takes the stand in a delicate dress Althea brought to her. She answers questions truthfully. How does the trial end? Does Virginia hang? What really did happen to Caprice and does Virginia know? Was she with Caprice when she died?
Find out in this fascinating historical novel on the fiction shelf of your local library.