Thaw

by Dennis Glover

Some secrets won't stay buried.

'Scott's lost expedition was still here, she thought – frozen, preserved, waiting to be rescued from the thaw. The truth lay beneath the surface, and she was going to bring it up.'

In 1912, five British explorers struggle across the Antarctic landscape, through howling winds and plummeting temperatures, seeking the safety of their camp.

Today, as the world's ice sheets begin to melt and surrender their secrets, renowned glacial archaeologist Missy Simpson works to discover the true cause of the explorers' deaths – a subject that has intrigued researchers for more than a century.

Her colleague, Cambridge professor Jim Hunter, is working on his own scientific mysteries – and is willing to risk everything to solve them.

In hallowed halls of learning and on the icy polar plateau, these risk-takers must grapple with the unfathomable power of the natural world and the dramatically changing weather – while navigating their own complicated relationships.

Drawn from the pages of history and cutting-edge science, Thaw is a gripping read that will forever change how you see the frozen continent – and those who seek to conquer it.

Genres: Fiction

305 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2023

About the author

Dennis Glover was educated at Monash and Cambridge universities and he has made a career as one of Australia's leading speechwriters and political commentators. His first novel, The Last Man in Europe, was published around the world in multiple editions and was nominated for several literary prizes, including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. His second novel, Factory 19, was published in 2020, and his newest novel, Thaw, is forthcoming.

Reviews

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect mix of history, action and drama. I love to learn while I'm being entertained, and that's exactly what this novel gave me.

This dual-timeline tale of Antarctica is anchored by the Simpson family. George Simpson was the real-life Chief Meteorologist for Scott's fatal polar expedition in the early 20th century, while Missy Simpson is his fictional, contemporary great-granddaughter. Ice runs in this family's veins, because while George made his name as a pioneer of polar weather prediction, Missy has become a glacial archaeologist of some renown, having 'found' a number of important historical artefacts lost in the polar ice.

In the earlier timeline, we follow Scott's attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole in the summer of 1911-12. Simpson is concerned that Scott's plan might have them returning a couple of weeks too late to beat the bitter cold of the approaching winter. (A couple of weeks doesn't sound like much, but we all know how this ends, right?) Unfortunately, Simpson's powers of persuasion aren't enough to change Scott's mind, and they stick to the original schedule. Meanwhile, Simpson is recalled from Antarctica to his post in India, and is therefore oblivious to what is happening on the polar icecap due to the months-long lag in news at that time.

In the contemporary timeline (2023) Missy is riding a wave of success, but her next professional challenge is to research and write the biography of her famous ancestor. Working out of the British Institute for Polar Studies in Cambridge, Missy has full access to the BIPS archive including the original journals. It seems like there might be some things missing; possibly not retrieved when the remains of the polar party were discovered. When an opportunity arises for Missy to go to Antarctica, she can't resist the temptation to potentially rediscover the last resting place of Scott, Bowers and Wilson.

I think Glover has made some great choices in handling the early timeline where the facts are so legendary, by focusing more on the lesser-known historical figures. He builds them up into people we get to know quite well; Simpson the earnest and honest scientist struck with a sense of unimaginable guilt when he finds out what happened to his colleagues, and Birdie Bowers in the actual polar party, a young man in (new) love, but focused on the job and on being a loyal and dependable expeditioner. Both characters pull at the emotions in different ways, while Scott himself looms large but somewhat distanced. Consequently the chapters detailing the (partially imagined) final day/s of the 3 remaining expeditioners evoked a lot of anguish and were actually quite difficult to read. Then in the later timeline, Glover turns an adventurous quest that perfectly complements the familiar history, into a breathtaking warning about climate change. Really skilfull storytelling.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and will press it into the hands of many.

Part historical fiction, part speculative fiction with both a CliFi and dark academia feel this novel had all the elements I love. Plus I had the pleasure of learning more about a piece of history I didn't know I needed to know - the ill-fated Scott Expedition to the South Pole in 1911/12.

The novel has two alternating narratives: (a) a faithful retelling of the main parts of the Scott Expedition and the fate of its five primary explorers plus the team of scientists, ponies and dogs that supported them and (b) a current day and very slightly future fictional account of polar scientists who are interested in finding out what really happened on that ill fated journey, made possible by the warming of Antarctica and long buried evidence coming to the surface.

There's a bit of mystery, a bit of adventure, a bit of academic rivalry, a strong female protagonist in the 2023 sections and a pile of climate science. I was GLUED to the pages.

A quick, satisfying read that will leave you more knowledgable and have a whole new appreciation for the field of meteorology.

I'm off to find Dennis Glover's back catalogue in which is a biography of George Orwell. If he handled that as well as he handled this then I'm in for a treat.

Thank you to Black Inc Books for this advanced reader copy in return for an honest review.

[Terry Maxwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thaw by Dennis Glover is the historical fiction I didn’t know I needed.

I didn’t know much about expedition to the South Pole & I’m more drawn to the war time historical fiction but Thaw grabs you from the first page & keeps you hooked.

Learning what it was like to be in those conditions & what the explorers went through is amazing. The back & forth between 1911/12 & 2023 works seamlessly & there are elements that are relevant in todays times.

I highly recommend this book. Thank you to good reading early birds for my advance copy.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going against most reviews for this novel, but I didn't enjoy Thaw as much as I wanted to. It was fascinating to follow Schott and his companions on their ill-fated journey to the South Pole. The descriptions of the bitter cold and the bleak conditions made their suffering very real and ultimately heartbreaking.

However, I wasn't a big fan of the modern story with Missy Simpson. Although the effects of global warming on Antarctica were interesting and disturbing, I couldn't connect with Missy even though she was a strong female protagonist.

With mystery, romance, danger and adventure, Thaw was a quick, interesting read but not a great one.

[BOof · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dennis Glover’s Thaw is a novel that examines the past and exaggerates the present to stress the importance of meteorological studies in shaping today’s conversations about global warming and climate change. It is fundamentally a more technical approach, less about doom and gloom and more about the science itself. And the weather forecasters of today, according to Glover, are indebted to the meteorological records salvaged from the lost expedition of Robert Falcon Scott.
A heatwave has caused all sorts of trouble this Northern Hemisphere summer. The World Meteorological Organisation has announced the beginning of another El Niño phase that will alter the global climate, and extreme and anomalous weather events regularly make headlines. As temperature records are broken, we seem to be witnessing signs of what’s become a familiar apocalypse.

Fiction writers have responded to this new climate frontier with mixtures of bewilderment, activism, grief, resignation and wonder. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, a canonical 1960s cri de cœur against the post-industrial world’s pollutive stain on the planet, seems as urgent as ever, even though today’s efforts to stymie global warming are marred by apathy and doubt.


CREDIT:

Glover’s previous work was largely occupied with the legacy of a different dystopia – that of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. The Last Man in Europe portrayed this directly by envisioning Eric Blair writing the novel on his deathbed in post-war England. Taking a different approach, Glover’s novel Factory 19 imagined a sanctuary in Tasmania built by a rogue billionaire to escape the digital age.

Thaw uses elements of speculation alongside historical fiction, but its impetus is firmly driven by the present. The novel is broadly a type of environmental fiction in which meteorology takes centre stage. The narrative alternates between a historical reconstruction of Scott’s Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctic between 1910-1913 and a contemporary fiction of a young Cambridge academic researching the increasing thaw of the Arctic deserts. These two storylines braid together, sharing resonances and epiphanies across time.

READ MORE HERE: https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/...

[Kimmy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb ré-rendering of Scott’s ill-fated attempt to reach the South Pole, although with a different slant - the cause behind the series of events. This introduces George
‘Sunny Jim’ Simpson, the meteorologist who gave them the data upon which they based their trek planning. Alternating between the pre-war heroic exploration years (1911-1913), and present day, where we meet Sunny Jim’s great granddaughter Missy, the reader is presented with a seamless blending of historic faction and near future climate disaster, with a very well explained back story. Eliciting emotions from the reader during an adventure tale is a big ask, but the author has sympathetically portrayed the tragic events, as no Antarctic expedition story would be complete without Oates’s ‘Boys, I’m just going outside. I may be some time’. Always a welling up line.
Highly recommended.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the counterbalance of the modern and historic stories and their interweaving. Not generally a fan of fictionalisation of historical events and people but Glover does this really well.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘The truth lay beneath the surface…’

Mr Glover’s novel opens with a preface, reminding us that:

‘In the summer of 1911-12, five members of Robert Falcon Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition attempted to become the first humans to reach the South Pole, but were beaten to the prize by the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, and perished of exposure and hunger midway across the Ross Ice Shelf, then known as the Great Ice Barrier. More than a century later, controversy continues to rage about the ultimate causes of the disaster and its legacy for the world.’

The novel shifts between past and present, between Scott’s expedition in 1911-12 and Missy Simpson a glacial archaeologist at Cambridge in 2023, great granddaughter of Scott’s weatherman George Clarke Simpson. Ms Simpson is at Cambridge to write a biography of Simpson but is finding it difficult to get started. As a glacial archaeologist, Ms Simpson understands melting ice sheets surrender secrets. If the answers to the Scott disaster rest under the ice, Ms Simpson hopes that they will be revealed.

Part fiction, part history, and part science, this novel takes us back to 1912. We travel to and through Antarctica with Scott and his team, sharing their disappointment when discovering that Amundsen had beaten them to the South Pole, and then the tragedy of their attempted return. In the present, there is plenty of speculation about the causes of the tragedy. What becomes clear (yes, I know it is a novel) is how little weather and climate-related data was available in 1911-12 to inform the expedition’s planning.

Ms Simpson’s colleague, Cambridge professor Jim Hunter has some theories of his own which he and a team travel to Antarctica to explore. Even with modern technology and considerably more data about weather and climate, the journey is dangerous.

The tension rises in both past and present. Yes, we know that the Scott expedition ended in tragedy, but Mr Glover brings the expeditioners to life as we travel with them. And in the present, where the causes and impacts of climate change are subjects of increasingly strident debate. Mr Glover reminds us of the impacts of temperature change.

Once I picked this novel up, I found it hard to put down. Recommended.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Great Escape Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Our Review...

Dennis Glovers latest novel Thaw is a captivating combination of historical and speculative fiction exploring the mystifying frozen continent of Antarctica. The novel recounts the journey of Captain Scott and his team on their fatal expedition while also following the fictional Great-Granddaughter of Scott’s chief meteorologist.

Part of the novel follows the treacherous 1912 expedition and includes authentic diary entries of both Captain Scott and George Clarke Simpson. Glover skilfully describes the harsh and unimaginable conditions faced by the team and creates a vivid picture of the incredible landscape. He also brings a new light to the guilt and responsibility felt by Simpson who advised the expedition team that the weather conditions would be survivable, unaware of the unprecedented conditions that awaited them.

The novel also follows fictional glacial archaeologist Missy Simpson as she tries to uncover what really led to the explorers’ deaths all those years ago. In her journey Missy must navigate the world of academia, critics, relationships, and the distressing reality of the melting continent.

An atmospheric and enthralling novel, not a genre I would usually be drawn to, I was surprised how much I really enjoyed this book.

Review by Jess @ Great Escape Books

[Finn Stenning Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dennis Glover’s Thaw is a prime example of good historical fiction, with interesting characters and a faithful representation of its subject matter (as evident through his thorough author's notes and reference pages). The solid basis of the Scott expedition allowed Glover to expand upon the characters and make the world feel alive and dangerous.

However, this only happened half the time. A stark contrast to the historical sections, the modern plot contained two-dimensional characters that either were masterminds, helped the masterminds be masterful, or were virtually irrelevant. I found myself dreading having to read these sections of the book. Additionally, the mixed prose of documentary, drama and wit worked fine for the historical parts but only accentuated how bland the rest of the book was.

As a whole, Thaw was very well put together, with strong thematic ties linking the past and modern plot lines (if only the modern characters hadn’t spoilt it by explaining in detail exactly why the reader should be impressed). I’ll undoubtedly look back at the historical parts of this book as some of the highlights of the books I’ll read this year.

[Dean Goldstein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found it hard to know what exactly to make of this book. It was nice to read a final trek of Scott's party told from a fictional POV to fill in some of the blanks, as the party itself was unable to do. The modern story was lacklustre, the central love story pointless and unfulfilled. The climactic point of the modern story had me tempted to put it down and never pick it up, even Dan Brown would have deemed it too kitsch. When the story reverted back to Simpson's historical account, it picked up again.

2.5*, bumped up to 3 for taking on a tough topic that other writers have steered clear of.

[Kerry Hennigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A combination of historical novel and present-day quest to retrieve data - and answers - about the past, Thaw is also a timely warning of the consequences of climate change on the Antarctic ice pack, and ultimately, on us. But Glover's narrative is less preachy than it is engrossing, as it delves into the journal entries of Scott and his team on their quest to be first to the South Pole, and the thoughts of a young academic wanting to retrieve physical evidence of that doomed quest from the rapidly melting ice.

[Giovanna Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual go to read, a nice surprise, I enjoyed the read.

Glover takes you back to Scott's journey to Antartica - so well that I was even feeling freezing myself after reading parts. His descriptions of the continent and the conditions that the early explorers endured - you get a real feel for their suffering. (Contrasting with the 'easy' transport offered to present day explorers, even if the weather is still unforgiving). I also found it portryaed the zeitgeist of the early 1900's very well with the modern day characters giving some perspective.

[Margaret Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful retelling of Robert Falcon Scott's ill fated expedition to the South Pole. I loved Dennis Glover's Last Man in Europe and this one certainly didn't disappoint. Glover has certainly done his research and if nothing else, this novel should certainly encourage any reader to delve deeper into the expedition's legacy which (in spite of criticism levelled at Scott's fateful decisions over the decades), we can now learn so much thanks to the team's meticulous recording of weather patterns and other observations. Almost a 5 for this one.

[Toni Kely-Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at a book sale. I knew almost nothing about this expeditition and its outcome before reading this novel and it has inspired me to seek out some non-fiction. The writing was amazing and really captured the extreme cold of Antarticia and the conditions these men battled. These men were like the "space explorers" of our day - they really were going into the unknown! I also liked the dual timeline and the connection with climate change. Highly recommended.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - This was an enjoyable novel that mixed research and science within an interesting plot. I enjoyed the parallels between Scott's mission and the modern-day one - and it was clever how they were brought together. I felt that this novel dragged a bit in the beginning, however it picked up towards the middle, and felt quite tense towards the end.

[Philip Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not the worst journey in the world: the unluckiest. p. 282

Such a well constructed book. Easy to read. Evocative of people, times and places. Not, by any means, a straightforward plot line, but masterfully handled.

[Gavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt cold just reading this book ... Fantastic novelisation of fascinating historical events expertly interwoven with a "climate fiction" novel. Loved the contrast between social attitudes between the periods. And the core premise of the novel of the potential impact of global warming. My only hesitation is that some felt a little trite and the dialogue clunky at times. And I never really felt convinced about young Missy's obsession/relationship with the older Jim.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took me a while to get into this, but once I did I was even dreaming about Antarctica. Recommended for fans of historical fictionalisations.

[Julie Swane · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is something almost hypnotic about reading of Scott and Amundsen. Glover gave some fresh insites on a story well trod. Recommended

[Kirsten Chee · Rating 4 out of 5]

If I could do 4.5 star I would :)

[Taru-Tuulikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

A four is being generous, but a 3 star didn’t seem quite enough.
An interesting book teaching me a little more about Scott’s expedition, and Simpson’s growing understanding of weather patterns.

[Helrj · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved much about this book but the modern day characters were very poorly defined and the writing of these section somewhat clumsy. The historic story was much better

[Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Scott’s arduous journey into the heart of the Antarctic was told beautifully. The last few days of the journey was difficult to read and so heartbreaking that I wept.

[Clare Rhoden · Rating 5 out of 5]

irresistible reading, both the historic disaster story and the near-future climate crisis story. I was sorry to finish this book. I really enjoyed it.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

"....never let your enemies dwell rent-free inside your head."
This was such a good read! Ignoring the crazy 'movie-scene' part towards the end sent in 'present' time, the foundation of the book based in meterology was fascinating and Glover succeeded in making the cold and the experiences of Scott and his men a visceral experience.
I didn't realise it was Oats who said "I am just going outside and I may be some time" - as he left Scott and others in the tent and went outside to die (Scotts diary entry 16 March 1912).

[Cactus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly portrayed historical Antarctic event-come-tragedy which has been superbly interwoven with a more fictional, contemporary narrative of a likewise theme.

Weather is at the heart of this plot. In 1910-13, Scott’s expedition collected data, used the latest instruments and recorded it, and their experiences, in their own journals, using pencil.

This freezing, early twentieth century plot-line, warms your heart too; relationships & characters, camaraderie & friendship, respect & support … all are tested. As when the weather changes and the temperatures plummet, it all becomes about survival.

Then knowing that death is inevitable, one cannot read it without shedding a tear. How the last three men spend their final hours is harrowing.

The icy atmosphere created is truly felt!

The physicality of such a harsh, white, bitterly cold, blizzard & gale force winds environment which caused blindness, numbness, oozing wounds, delirium & death, etc, evokes climatic drama in more ways than one throughout the story.

There is no escaping it, even as I read for several hours during a sweltering Aussie heatwave! My bones shook with the visual & sensory overload and apt descriptions. This certainly brought the book’s core to life!! Well done Mr Glover👏🏻

You can only admire, or think ‘madness’, of these early risk-taking, polar explorers. In the name of science, meteorology and of course, Britain, these post-Edwardian ‘climate activist thinkers’ represented early modernity too.

Their instruments and Antarctic tools, primitive to us now (which Glover has succinctly shown in his comparative 2023 narrative where satellite phones, drones, planes, snow machines etc prevail), were the latest, up-to-date equipment of the day.

The irony is not lost when only sharpened lead pencils (as opposed to ink pens which freeze) work best in the freezing climes of Antarctica! In contrast, the 2023 explorers have their ipads!

But the commonality that the 1913 & 2023 trips had was the unexpected nature of the weather. It’s unpredictably. This is what some of the surviving members of Scott’s team, namely Simpson, eventually discovered. A rare climatic event. But they had little data to predict this he had said. But future investigations would prove this.

Thus, the 2023 narrative becomes the extension of his claim. Data had been collected & the reality was a one-in-twenty year ‘event’!

Scott’s expedition was just unlucky; though the scenario of negative events to his team’s trip to the pole began before they really left. A lost motor sledge, ponies dying were linked to later casualties, death, lost time, hunger etc

That the 2023 trip had a satellite phone to call for help as they were stranded on a broken ice ‘island’ on Ross Shelf, speaks volumes about their luck too.

However, prior to the plane arriving, their near-death experience in raging water streams emptying into a crevasse, adding even more suspense, could have ended with fatalities. I expected it too.

But since a romantic liaison was developing, the love-link in this plot survived…unlike poor Birdie & his ‘Miss Elizabeth’.

It’s a great read. At times a little clunky in dialogue; particularly that between Hunter & Missy. And with Georgia in Antartica. I think parts required further editing as I felt, at times, as if I should be editing.

And it’s very British in the 1912 narrative. How many times did they enjoy washing down their hoosh with a good cup of tea? Or call out ‘old boy’?

Ostensibly it’s a very unique historical story brought back to life which is a 5* Using a 2023 narrative, & a descendant of Simpson, was a good idea. The uni life & research was fascinating too!

Climate change is upon us … terrifying really…even though the author has exaggerated the 2023 aspects (as he notes at the end)…he is throwing out the warning signs to governments & climatologists etc…

Finally, many thanks Mr Glover for doing Scott’s expedition justice! Simpson too! It wasn’t all for nothing and neither is your plot! 4.5*