North with Franklin: The Lost Journals of James Fitzjames

by John Wilson

"...a richly re-imagined fable which goes far beyond anything the historical record alone might suggest." Russell A. Potter, Arctic Book Review Perhaps, on a barren Arctic shore in the summer of 1849, knowing he was dying, a British Naval officer wrapped his journal in sailcloth and buried it beneath a lonely pile of frost-shattered stones. He was the last of the 129 doomed men of Sir John Franklin's lost Arctic expedition. His name was James Fitzjames and for four years he had carefully recorded the expedition's achievements, hopes and, as things began to go horribly wrong, the descent into madness and eventual death of his closest friends. This is his journal. "A suspenseful and enjoyable read." Booklist "Wilson has managed to make his invented journal seem authentic and his account of the ill-fated adventurers seem plausible...one reads on, fascinated, to the bitter end." The Globe and Mail

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction

274 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1999

About the author

John Wilson, an ex-geologist and frustrated historian, is the award-winning author of fifty novels and non-fiction books for adults and teens. His passion for history informs everything he writes, from the recreated journal of an officer on Sir John Franklin’s doomed Arctic expedition to young soldiers experiencing the horrors of the First and Second World Wars and a memoir of his own history. John researches and writes in Lantzville on Vancouver Island. There are many more details in his memoir, Lands of Lost Content, https://www.amazon.com/Lands-Lost-Con...

Reviews

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this as part of my ongoing sweep through every book ever written about the Franklin expedition (or so it seems haha). I really enjoyed this one! I think it helps to have some background knowledge of the expedition before going into this, as, although there is a lot of detail, it's handy to know the context. That being said, you do know the ending that way... That gave it a very ominous mood as, well, it's not a pleasant conclusion – but I do always find it interesting how different people theorise about the fate of the Franklin expedition because even now, it's not fully known. I believe this came out before William Battersby's biography of Fitzjames which really added so much knowledge to the career of the man (and also before the actual re-discovery of the ships!), so it was also interesting to see a pre-Battersby and pre-discovery interpretation. I did have to keep reminding myself that these were *fictional* versions of Fitzjames's journals as they very well carried off Fitzjames's voice and the feel of the age.

My only little qualm was at the end with the sudden switch from a familial tone towards his sister-in-law (who the journals are addressed to) to a couple of paragraphs of admitting a romantic interest. I am a huge lover of platonic and familial relationships being represented as every bit as strong and important as romantic ones, and really enjoyed the caring brother-sister vibe, especially as John Wilson was writing Fitzjames as a sort of adopted orphan. I thought that was such a sweet and unique perspective to go from, so the romantic switch seemed unnecessary.

But overall, I enjoyed it. It's a definite recommendation if you're interested in this expedition and the people involved.

(also just saw I read this over the 210th anniversary of Fitzjames's birth, that's a cute little fact)

[Nephte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appropriate for the dark, cold and foggy season🥶🥶 – another take on the doomed Franklin Expedition of 1845, besides the infamous “The Terror” by Dan Simmons.
The whole mystery of what must have happened is really hard to shake once you hear the story.
This rendition of the events following the departure of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror from England to their gruesome end on the bottom of the artic ocean is told in the form of a diary written by the captain of the HMS Erebus James Fitzjames. As a fictional account, written to his sister-in-law, James takes us into the deep, dark cold of the yet undiscovered Northwest Passage.
Today we know that none of the 129 men survived to tell the tale and that the end must have been too bad to really be imagined by the modern mind.
That is probably what makes it so very fascinating. Unlike “The Terror” this story has no supernatural/mystic elements, and it survives and shines with it’s very humanity. The men set out full of enthusiasm, persuaded by the strength of technology and in the end they were defeated by the elements.
Although you know exactly how it ends, I still found it a very fascinating read, that again made me that much more interested to know what really happened. An absolute recommendation for all lovers of arctic mystery and the convoluted tales of human exploration.

[Emily Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilson uses the charming letters that Commander James Fitzjames sent home to his adoptive brother and sister-in-law as the starting point for this epistolary account of the tragic Franklin Expedition. It's a poignant look at a young man who didn't know his grand adventure was going to be a horror show. Research has upended some of the things presented in the book since 1999 (we now have a better idea how and when certain figures died, both ships have been discovered, etc), and in particular we now know more about Fitzjames himself than Wilson would've had access to at the time of writing this. So yes, some things are outdated but it's inherently fiction and I can roll with the "errors." My only real complaint is I guessed the "twist" presented in the final letter very shortly after beginning the book. Note: Wilson has a second, much later story on the Franklin Expedition, Graves of Ice, which takes new research into account! It's fascinating to see the same writer evolve his portrayal of Fitzjames based on evolving knowledge.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do believe having knowledge of the Franklin Expedition is helpful in reading this book. It is well done and adds a personal touch to the story. The change in James's releationship point of view in the end kind of ruined it for me though. I do recommend the book for those that are readers of books on the Expedition, gives a plausible possibility.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quotable:
I have never been one to waste the hours lying abed more than necessary and can always find some dark corner of the night in which to put down my thoughts.

How exotic appears a world which can include cheetahs, and how remote now appears the part of my life which brought me in contact with such beings. One aspect of the monotony of the landscape hereabouts is its ability to envelope one's senses and render dreamlike all reminiscences of a previous life.

Osmer is spending much time cataloguing our supplies and working victualling schedules for all eventualities. It is becoming something of an obsession with him, perhaps an attempt to impose order and a measure of control on our essentially disordered and uncontrollable situation.

[William Battersby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and a very interesting example of the 'factional' genre of Franklin Expedition literature. By that I mean where an author takes a historical event or point - in this case the letters Fitzjames sent back to his friends Elizabeth and William Coninghm - and then weaves his own fictional story around it.

[Selkie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the most part, this is an interesting & well written book. But the ending is too predictable, which kind of spoiled it.
It also seems well-researched despite the fact that deaths recorded do not match those of the nonfiction accounts, such as in Scott Cookman's Iceblink.