Thaw (Dennis Glover, Black Inc)

Among the breathtaking and perilous wilds of Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf, a dozen men prepare to be the first to reach the South Pole. When tragedy strikes the men on their return journey, they flounder mere miles from safety. In 2023, the great-granddaughter of the expedition’s lead meteorologist works to uncover the truth behind the party’s demise. While following in the footsteps of her ancestor, she is led into great danger, but in the process may just uncover the truth buried for 100 years beneath the unforgiving ice of the lonely continent. What she finds could change the course of political debate and climate change denial in the modern world. Split between the true history of the early 1900s and a fictional modern-day Cambridge, Dennis Glover’s Thaw reveals the importance of history and scientific endeavour at the extremes of our planet. While the mystery and adventure of the novel make for a gripping read, I found the story fell short in its pacing, and the first two-thirds of the novel felt rushed and confusing, without a stable narrator to latch on to. However, the thrilling re-telling of the polar explorer’s journey and the novel’s relevance to our modern political and scientific climate make for an engaging story, compelling the reader to race to the finish. Thaw will leave any lover of history, extreme exploration or mystery on the edge of their seat, wanting more.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jess Lewis is a writer, publishing editor and science communicator residing in Naarm. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews