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Chasing the Light
It's the early 1930s. Antarctic open sea whaling is booking and a territorial race for the mysterious continent is in full swing.
Aboard a ship setting sail from Cape Town carrying the Norwegian whaling magnate Lars Christensen are three women: Lillemor Rachlew, who tricked her way on to the ship and will stop at nothing to be the first woman to land on Antarctica; Mathilde Wegger, a grieving widow who's been forced to join the trip by her calculating parents-in-law; and Lars's wife, Ingrid Christensen, who has longed to travel to Antarctica since she was a girl and has made a daunting bargain with Lars to convince him to take her.
As they head south through icy waters, the race is on for the first woman to land on Antarctica. None of them expect the outcome and none of them know how they will be changed by their arrival.
Based on the little-known true story of the first woman to ever set foot on Antarctica, Jesse Blackadder has captured the drama, danger and magnetic pull of exploring uncharted places in our world and our minds.
Aboard a ship setting sail from Cape Town carrying the Norwegian whaling magnate Lars Christensen are three women: Lillemor Rachlew, who tricked her way on to the ship and will stop at nothing to be the first woman to land on Antarctica; Mathilde Wegger, a grieving widow who's been forced to join the trip by her calculating parents-in-law; and Lars's wife, Ingrid Christensen, who has longed to travel to Antarctica since she was a girl and has made a daunting bargain with Lars to convince him to take her.
As they head south through icy waters, the race is on for the first woman to land on Antarctica. None of them expect the outcome and none of them know how they will be changed by their arrival.
Based on the little-known true story of the first woman to ever set foot on Antarctica, Jesse Blackadder has captured the drama, danger and magnetic pull of exploring uncharted places in our world and our minds.
431 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2013
100 people are currently reading
1208 people want to read
About the author
Jesse Blackadder
14 books162 followersYes, Jesse Blackadder really was born with that surname. An award-winning novelist, freelance writer and budding screenwriter, she is fascinated by landscapes, adventurous women and really cold places.
Jesse's forthcoming novel 'In the Blink of an Eye' is being published in the USA by St Martins Press in March 2019. (It was published in Australia as 'Sixty Seconds' by HarperCollins in 2017). The novel was inspired by her childhood experience of her sister's death in a swimming pool.
Jesse has recently been jointly awarded the 2018 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship to write a television series and a junior novel series set in Antarctica, in partnership with screenwriter Jane Allen. The pair will live at Mawson Station over the 2018/19 summer.
'Chasing the Light' (2013), is historical fiction based on the true but forgotten story of the first women to reach Antarctica. Jesse won her first Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship in 2011 and travelled to Antarctica to research the novel.
Jesse's novel 'The Raven's Heart', came about when she'd finally had enough of people asking if she was related to Rowan Atkinson. She travelled to Scotland to find the origins of the Blackadder surname and discovered the ruins of Blackadder House on the banks of the Blackadder River.
Her first novel, 'After the Party' (Hardie Grant Books 2005), made the Australian Book Review list of all time favourite Australian novels in 2010.
Jesse has been a writer in residence in Antarctica, Alaska, in the Australian outback at Byron Bay, and at Varuna The Writers' House, Australia's leading residential program for writers. She has a Doctor of Creative Arts from the University of Western Sydney. Born in Sydney, she now lives near Byron Bay on Australia's east coast.
Jesse's forthcoming novel 'In the Blink of an Eye' is being published in the USA by St Martins Press in March 2019. (It was published in Australia as 'Sixty Seconds' by HarperCollins in 2017). The novel was inspired by her childhood experience of her sister's death in a swimming pool.
Jesse has recently been jointly awarded the 2018 Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship to write a television series and a junior novel series set in Antarctica, in partnership with screenwriter Jane Allen. The pair will live at Mawson Station over the 2018/19 summer.
'Chasing the Light' (2013), is historical fiction based on the true but forgotten story of the first women to reach Antarctica. Jesse won her first Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship in 2011 and travelled to Antarctica to research the novel.
Jesse's novel 'The Raven's Heart', came about when she'd finally had enough of people asking if she was related to Rowan Atkinson. She travelled to Scotland to find the origins of the Blackadder surname and discovered the ruins of Blackadder House on the banks of the Blackadder River.
Her first novel, 'After the Party' (Hardie Grant Books 2005), made the Australian Book Review list of all time favourite Australian novels in 2010.
Jesse has been a writer in residence in Antarctica, Alaska, in the Australian outback at Byron Bay, and at Varuna The Writers' House, Australia's leading residential program for writers. She has a Doctor of Creative Arts from the University of Western Sydney. Born in Sydney, she now lives near Byron Bay on Australia's east coast.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
December 22, 2016
This was a fascinating fictional account of the first women to visit Antarctica. Long denied inclusion in male dominated excursions to the North and South Poles women eventually ventured to Anctarctica as passengers on the Norwegian whaling fleet. In this account, Jesse Blackadder imagines what it must have been like to be a young woman on such a journey. In her appendix, Blackadder relates what is known of the women, Ingrid Christensen wife of whaling king Lars Christensen and her female companions. In all Ingrid went on three trips to Antarctica with her husband in the 1930s and here Blackadder has condensed this into a single voyage with two of Ingrid's companions on board. She imagines the interactions between the three very different women and their reponses to the long voyage, the cold and danger of the ice and the brutality of the whaling they see when their refueling ship docks with the whaling ships.
There is some beautiful descriptive prose making it possible to imagine the beauty of the ice and the light but also the brutality of the landscape and the cruelty inherent in whaling. A highly recommended fictional view of the history of a group of intrepid women overlooked by history.
"It was true, she had found something essential. But in finding it, she’d lost something else. The Antarctica of her imagination, that mystical, wondrous place, was gone. In its stead was the real Antarctica, at once smaller and larger than she’d imagined, at once more wondrous and more ordinary. It was a place indifferent to humans. It was itself, no more and no less."
There is some beautiful descriptive prose making it possible to imagine the beauty of the ice and the light but also the brutality of the landscape and the cruelty inherent in whaling. A highly recommended fictional view of the history of a group of intrepid women overlooked by history.
"It was true, she had found something essential. But in finding it, she’d lost something else. The Antarctica of her imagination, that mystical, wondrous place, was gone. In its stead was the real Antarctica, at once smaller and larger than she’d imagined, at once more wondrous and more ordinary. It was a place indifferent to humans. It was itself, no more and no less."
March 4, 2017
Others who wrote reviews of this book seem to adore it. I did not. It bothered me quite a lot to get to the end and to find two of the driving forces behind Lars and Ingrid's actions in the book were completely fictional. I get this is a fictional account, but completely fabricating their motivations is a bridge too far for me. Also, I had serious issues with how awful the women were to each other. It really reinforces the stereotype that women don't get along, that they don't support each other, that they are in constant competition with each other. That stereotype is so tired and so wrong. I did love the descriptions of Antarctica. My fascination with the continent is why I chose this book in the first place, and those parts of the book did not disappoint. And the encounter Ingrid had with the whale was breathtaking.
May 17, 2013
This is the most beautiful, haunting novel about the first women in Antarctica - I'd really recommend it to anyone who loves books about forgotten women in history (in fact, I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction.)
April 26, 2013
‘But all explorations were funded by something, Lars had told her more than once.’
Ingrid Christensen has waited for twenty years for her husband Lars to meet his promise to take her to Antarctica. Twenty years, during which Ingrid has given birth to six children and Lars has built a whaling empire. In 1931, subject to conditions, Lars agrees to take Ingrid with him when he sails to the Southern Ocean as part of his whaling business. A landing in Antarctica may be possible. One of Lars's conditions is that Ingrid cannot be the only woman aboard the Thorshavn. Mathilde Wegger, withdrawn and grieving for her husband, is invited by Ingrid to join her as her companion. Mathilde, pressured by her parents-in-law, reluctantly agrees. Mathilde does not want to leave her children, but is afraid that she will lose them to her parents-in-law otherwise. Lillemor Rachlew is fascinated by Antarctica. When she learns of the Christensen's planned trip, she very much wants to be part of it. And with her husband Anton's assistance, she joins the expedition.
Three very different women: each with her own motivation for making this trip, in the enclosed space of a ship carrying fuel oil to the factory ships. Ms Blackadder creates both the beauty and the terror of the sea as well as the claustrophobic cabins of a working ship. Alliances are made, broken, and remade between the women as they rely on each other to survive in such a harsh environment. While some members of the crew are helpful, most of the men would prefer that the women were not on board.
And which of the women will be the first to set foot on Antarctica?
`This was Antarctica, hard and bloody and full of need, longing and repulsion, fury, competition and jealousy, bargains made and payments extracted, everyone implicated, everyone faced with their own desire and brutality.'
I enjoyed this novel immensely. While the cruel reality of whaling is part of this journey, it underlines rather than undermines the broader story of the search for territory in Antarctica. It is Ms Blackadder's descriptions of the environment that primarily held my attention: the austere beauty and treachery of the ice. While, for me, the women were largely secondary to the surroundings, I was intrigued by their manoeuvrings and manipulations as each sought to try to gain an advantage.
The voyage described in this novel is loosely based, the author writes, on four trips made by Ingrid with Lars on board the Thorshavn. Lillemor and Mathilde accompanied her on different voyages.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Ingrid Christensen has waited for twenty years for her husband Lars to meet his promise to take her to Antarctica. Twenty years, during which Ingrid has given birth to six children and Lars has built a whaling empire. In 1931, subject to conditions, Lars agrees to take Ingrid with him when he sails to the Southern Ocean as part of his whaling business. A landing in Antarctica may be possible. One of Lars's conditions is that Ingrid cannot be the only woman aboard the Thorshavn. Mathilde Wegger, withdrawn and grieving for her husband, is invited by Ingrid to join her as her companion. Mathilde, pressured by her parents-in-law, reluctantly agrees. Mathilde does not want to leave her children, but is afraid that she will lose them to her parents-in-law otherwise. Lillemor Rachlew is fascinated by Antarctica. When she learns of the Christensen's planned trip, she very much wants to be part of it. And with her husband Anton's assistance, she joins the expedition.
Three very different women: each with her own motivation for making this trip, in the enclosed space of a ship carrying fuel oil to the factory ships. Ms Blackadder creates both the beauty and the terror of the sea as well as the claustrophobic cabins of a working ship. Alliances are made, broken, and remade between the women as they rely on each other to survive in such a harsh environment. While some members of the crew are helpful, most of the men would prefer that the women were not on board.
And which of the women will be the first to set foot on Antarctica?
`This was Antarctica, hard and bloody and full of need, longing and repulsion, fury, competition and jealousy, bargains made and payments extracted, everyone implicated, everyone faced with their own desire and brutality.'
I enjoyed this novel immensely. While the cruel reality of whaling is part of this journey, it underlines rather than undermines the broader story of the search for territory in Antarctica. It is Ms Blackadder's descriptions of the environment that primarily held my attention: the austere beauty and treachery of the ice. While, for me, the women were largely secondary to the surroundings, I was intrigued by their manoeuvrings and manipulations as each sought to try to gain an advantage.
The voyage described in this novel is loosely based, the author writes, on four trips made by Ingrid with Lars on board the Thorshavn. Lillemor and Mathilde accompanied her on different voyages.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
January 7, 2024
In all honesty this one gets 3.5. I read it as part of a book challenge asking that we read a book from each continent.
To that end, this book fits. Ingrid Christensen's greatest desire is to go to Antarctica and be the first woman to set foot on that continent. It's the 1930's and her husband is a whaling magnate so her chances are better than the other 1300 women who have, over the years, applied to go on different expeditions. She herself was promised a spot on another explorer's ship but was left behind due to a sudden change of plans on his part.
She convinces her husband to bring her along on a resupply mission, but he requires that she have a friend- a female friend- as it is not appropriate to be the lone woman on a ship full of men. She engages her friend Mathilde, a recent widow, to be her reluctant partner.
Lillemore, another woman aching to explore, gets wind of the expedition and worms her way on board. (Oh to be rich and connected!). The three set off, alliances changing with the weather. Both Ingrid and Lillemore think they want the glory of being the first woman to see/set foot on the continent.
The story is interesting, even though the writing and character development are a bit simple. Blackadder's research was woven well into the story and I enjoyed learning about the way whales were hunted and harvested during that time.
To that end, this book fits. Ingrid Christensen's greatest desire is to go to Antarctica and be the first woman to set foot on that continent. It's the 1930's and her husband is a whaling magnate so her chances are better than the other 1300 women who have, over the years, applied to go on different expeditions. She herself was promised a spot on another explorer's ship but was left behind due to a sudden change of plans on his part.
She convinces her husband to bring her along on a resupply mission, but he requires that she have a friend- a female friend- as it is not appropriate to be the lone woman on a ship full of men. She engages her friend Mathilde, a recent widow, to be her reluctant partner.
Lillemore, another woman aching to explore, gets wind of the expedition and worms her way on board. (Oh to be rich and connected!). The three set off, alliances changing with the weather. Both Ingrid and Lillemore think they want the glory of being the first woman to see/set foot on the continent.
The story is interesting, even though the writing and character development are a bit simple. Blackadder's research was woven well into the story and I enjoyed learning about the way whales were hunted and harvested during that time.
February 8, 2018
An excellent novel of historical fiction. 1930’s.... funded explorations of the
Antarctica..... life in Norway and powerful men ..... motivated women who
want to achieve ........ the blood and guts of the whaling industry .......
and the power of large companies.
Antarctica..... life in Norway and powerful men ..... motivated women who
want to achieve ........ the blood and guts of the whaling industry .......
and the power of large companies.
December 4, 2024
It started dragging so much it made me feel like I was on the ship to Antarctica.
December 6, 2022
This was interesting at some parts but mostly incredibly slow and boring. If I wasn't reading it for a reading challenge (book set in Antarctica), I would have DNF-ed it.
There was a lot of time spent describing things that weren't necessary to the plot, and so many crazy, ridiculously metaphors that sounded like they were written by a sex-obsessed man (the boat cut through the ice, making it look like a woman's white thighs parting? Really? And that wasn't even the dumbest one). I was genuinely surprised to find out the author was female, because so many parts sounded like cliché ways men tend to write about women.
Anyway. I learned a lot more about whaling and exploring the poles than I needed to. It was interesting but I wouldn't recommend it unless your willing to do some very heavy skimming.
There was a lot of time spent describing things that weren't necessary to the plot, and so many crazy, ridiculously metaphors that sounded like they were written by a sex-obsessed man (the boat cut through the ice, making it look like a woman's white thighs parting? Really? And that wasn't even the dumbest one). I was genuinely surprised to find out the author was female, because so many parts sounded like cliché ways men tend to write about women.
Anyway. I learned a lot more about whaling and exploring the poles than I needed to. It was interesting but I wouldn't recommend it unless your willing to do some very heavy skimming.
February 17, 2022
Completely outside any area of my interests. At once disgusting. And then again intriguing. Well written and researched. Dry interesting book
March 10, 2025
Particularly interesting as I've just set foot on Antarctica - my 7th continent!
An absorbing story of the first women to go there in the 1930s and the horrors of the whaling industry. I very much enjoyed this book and the portrayal of the real characters from history using their diaries and photos where they exist.
An absorbing story of the first women to go there in the 1930s and the horrors of the whaling industry. I very much enjoyed this book and the portrayal of the real characters from history using their diaries and photos where they exist.
January 21, 2021
As someone who loves historical fiction, I’ve been trying to branch out behind WWII historical fiction and based countries I am less/not familiar with their history. A book based on the first women to see Antarctica certainly fit!
While this is based on actual people, the author really made up the characters’ traits. It is extremely fictionalized and I was much more intrigued and interested in the afterword with author’s notes on the actual facts. This book is based on Ingrid Christensen’s 4 trips to Antarctica, not a single epic journey. Also, I felt a bit deceived upon finding out that there is no record of Ingrid wanting to be the first women to step foot on Antarctica, as this book is so heavily premised on. A journey to Antarctica is an adventure itself, without the added need of a fake race to be first.
One detail that particularly bothered me was how Blackadder painted the stereotypical women in competition and jealousy bit. In the afterword, there is no mention of Ingrid having any hostility to any of the female companions during her journeys. I rather disliked each of them for different reasons, but especially Lillemor Rachlew and now find that my dislike is unwarranted as I have no idea what she was even like.
While the book dragged at times and became a bit tedious, I was interested in learning about the whaling industry and especially how these women, and others noted (eg Amelia Earhart) were strong, intelligent women with dreams and goals and adventures they wanted to seek. It shed light to the history books, not correcting itself, even in Norway where these ladies were from, to reflect their achievements.
While this is based on actual people, the author really made up the characters’ traits. It is extremely fictionalized and I was much more intrigued and interested in the afterword with author’s notes on the actual facts. This book is based on Ingrid Christensen’s 4 trips to Antarctica, not a single epic journey. Also, I felt a bit deceived upon finding out that there is no record of Ingrid wanting to be the first women to step foot on Antarctica, as this book is so heavily premised on. A journey to Antarctica is an adventure itself, without the added need of a fake race to be first.
One detail that particularly bothered me was how Blackadder painted the stereotypical women in competition and jealousy bit. In the afterword, there is no mention of Ingrid having any hostility to any of the female companions during her journeys. I rather disliked each of them for different reasons, but especially Lillemor Rachlew and now find that my dislike is unwarranted as I have no idea what she was even like.
While the book dragged at times and became a bit tedious, I was interested in learning about the whaling industry and especially how these women, and others noted (eg Amelia Earhart) were strong, intelligent women with dreams and goals and adventures they wanted to seek. It shed light to the history books, not correcting itself, even in Norway where these ladies were from, to reflect their achievements.
September 17, 2013
In the 1930's, three women are determined to travel to the Antarctic, hoping to be the 'first woman' to set foot there. Two employ whatever wiles they can to board the expedition, the third is an unwilling companion. The opening chapters introduce us to these women, after a preface by another and a chapter about one who was denied the opportunity to travel south. Consequently, it took me a while to become absorbed in the book, and to differentiate the five women.
Once aboard, their personalities, flaws and motivations come into focus. Descriptions of the whaling business repulse us, as no doubt was intended. Having watched whales breach, enjoying the freedom of the oceans, I can be grateful that this barbaric practice has been curbed, and add my voice in protest against continued Japanese slaughter.
The end chapters are particularly engrossing, as the women reach their goal and we see how their lives are changed by the journey.
Once aboard, their personalities, flaws and motivations come into focus. Descriptions of the whaling business repulse us, as no doubt was intended. Having watched whales breach, enjoying the freedom of the oceans, I can be grateful that this barbaric practice has been curbed, and add my voice in protest against continued Japanese slaughter.
The end chapters are particularly engrossing, as the women reach their goal and we see how their lives are changed by the journey.
April 10, 2013
Collecting books on Antarctica is my hobby. Have just finished 'Chasing the Light'.I thought it the most enjoyable faction read about Antarctica or elsewhere. Technically beautifully crafted via the varied women's viewpoints, motives and historic setting. Quality characterisation and I'd be delighted to recommend it for those attempting new techniques for writing about historical settings in my 'Writing Non Boring Family History' workshops. But also the mystique of Antarctica was captured in the emotive passages.
A significant author has arrived. AND Tropical Townsville was a great place to read about cool Antarctica last week. Congratulations Jesse. Genuinely think this a significant work.
A significant author has arrived. AND Tropical Townsville was a great place to read about cool Antarctica last week. Congratulations Jesse. Genuinely think this a significant work.
April 22, 2013
After a visit from Jesse to my children's school to talk about Antarctica, I was compelled to buy her book Chasing the Light. Jesse has a way of engaging all ages into her story and knowing this was inspired by strong women in history made me want to read it (along with the fact that I loved Raven's Heart). Again, it wasn't bogged down in historical facts, but had enough to "furnish" the story well. Love the story and felt that I was actually there feeling the cold, the storms, the rocking of the boats and the victories and losses with those women. Again, sad the book was over. GREAT story.
June 3, 2015
Wonderful, unputdownable book, a novel based on fact. The story of 3 women, in the 1930's, who, for different reasons, travel to Antartica, hoping to be the first female to put a foot on this new continent.
These women have very different lives, stories & personalities. The dynamics they bring to a male environment of whaling ships & their crews is variable.
In some way, each woman is changed dramatically by this journey.
The biographical portraits are featured at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book!!
These women have very different lives, stories & personalities. The dynamics they bring to a male environment of whaling ships & their crews is variable.
In some way, each woman is changed dramatically by this journey.
The biographical portraits are featured at the end of the book.
I highly recommend this book!!
May 27, 2013
Very well written historical fiction based on the little-known landing of the first woman on Antarctica. It depicts the brutality of Antarctica, and the whaling practices of the 1930s while still drawing you in with strong characters and a unique story.
March 1, 2022
I purchased this book after a vacation to Mystic Seaport, CT, New Bedford, MA and visiting whaling museums and have always been fascinated with survival stories, especially those set in the coldest regions of the world. Perhaps it is my Norwegian blood and from watching tv documentaries on Scott and Byrd as a child.
1920s – Antarctica was full of whales and empty of man; by 1930s – over 250 whaling ships and 10,000 men were hunting whales
NORWAY 1030 – Whaling ship owner Lars funds exploration to Antarctica and gives in to his wife, Ingrid’s pleas to accompany him – as long as they try to conceive a child who can one day run his company. Two other women go: Lillemor is an ambitious photographer who manipulates her passage and hopes to be the first woman to land on Antarctica and Mathilde, grief stricken widow whose in-laws threaten her with a mental asylum or an adventure to Antarctica as chaperone. They secretly hope she doesn’t return so they raise the grandchildren.
The book is a detailed adventure of sailing from Norway, complete with detailed descriptions of capturing and flensing whales – a bloody and gory business. The greed of whaling men contrasted with women sensitive to a species being made extinct. Pregnant whales were sought out for producing more oil and fetuses were ‘processed’ just minutes after birth. “There was a fierce, violent joy in the kill that she could never share.” “Buried within the harpoon were barbs to spring out in the shale’s flesh, lodging themselves and ensuring the whale couldn’t pull free.”
“Underneath, the water was turning a brilliant blue, as turquoise as the inside of an iceberg. It was a mother and calf. She can’t see me, Ingrid told herself. The whale’s eyesight would be as blurred in the open air as Ingrid’s own underwater. Yet the whale pivoted, turning her body to the side and revealing a dark, round eye that seemed to be looking straight up at her. The whale held her gaze as it sensed that the ship carried the essence of her kin in its hold, the boiled down oil of whales, distilled and mixed in its tanks.”
Ironically one of Lars’s own employees snatched the honor of reaching Antarctica first and had taken his wife aboard so she was the first woman to step onto the continent. As one character said: “That’s the problem with being an explorer. If you are not first, you’ve failed.”
The characters all reacted differently. The arduous journey to Antarctica had changed them. Ingrid, who bargained with her husband to come and was so determined, acquiesced and accepted not being the first to land. She witnessed the beautiful landscape and creatures of the land and was fulfilled with that experience vs. the ‘victory of conquering a land’. She also contrasted those experiences with the horrors of whaling. “Antarctica needed no human to bring it into existence. It was furious at the men who dared to come with their harpoons and boilers to slaughter her children in her own waters, where they had been safe for all time.” Ingrid ponders the possibility of conceiving a child on the return voyage. “What if she were able to carry the essence of this place home in her own belly, a child with iceberg blue eyes?”
The crew and women take a small boat to the coast and explore for an afternoon but a storm comes up and become lost, realizing how vulnerable they were. They could be swept away or crushed by an iceberg. But they make it back and Lars receives a telegram that his major buyer was not interested in his old – the life blood of 2,000 whales.
He and the women change for the experience. Conflicts resolve. Ambitions become not important.
This book hit all the marks for a commendable work of historical fiction. The facts from which it evolved are detailed but never overtake the plot.
“The iceberg floated towards her, tall and faceted in pure, opaque white. From every crack and gouge shone a blue so intense that it hurt her eyes; a blue that made her throat catch. The center of the berg had melted out to form a cavern – a transparent pool of aquamarine surrounded by fringes of long, clear icicles. Cracks of that turquoise blue ran like veins down its side. It was like staring at a piece of sky, trapped and glowing from within the iceberg with unearthly light. Another appeared and then another, each as individual as a human face, each with its own shape carved by sea water and wind, each with its own variation of blue.”
1920s – Antarctica was full of whales and empty of man; by 1930s – over 250 whaling ships and 10,000 men were hunting whales
NORWAY 1030 – Whaling ship owner Lars funds exploration to Antarctica and gives in to his wife, Ingrid’s pleas to accompany him – as long as they try to conceive a child who can one day run his company. Two other women go: Lillemor is an ambitious photographer who manipulates her passage and hopes to be the first woman to land on Antarctica and Mathilde, grief stricken widow whose in-laws threaten her with a mental asylum or an adventure to Antarctica as chaperone. They secretly hope she doesn’t return so they raise the grandchildren.
The book is a detailed adventure of sailing from Norway, complete with detailed descriptions of capturing and flensing whales – a bloody and gory business. The greed of whaling men contrasted with women sensitive to a species being made extinct. Pregnant whales were sought out for producing more oil and fetuses were ‘processed’ just minutes after birth. “There was a fierce, violent joy in the kill that she could never share.” “Buried within the harpoon were barbs to spring out in the shale’s flesh, lodging themselves and ensuring the whale couldn’t pull free.”
“Underneath, the water was turning a brilliant blue, as turquoise as the inside of an iceberg. It was a mother and calf. She can’t see me, Ingrid told herself. The whale’s eyesight would be as blurred in the open air as Ingrid’s own underwater. Yet the whale pivoted, turning her body to the side and revealing a dark, round eye that seemed to be looking straight up at her. The whale held her gaze as it sensed that the ship carried the essence of her kin in its hold, the boiled down oil of whales, distilled and mixed in its tanks.”
Ironically one of Lars’s own employees snatched the honor of reaching Antarctica first and had taken his wife aboard so she was the first woman to step onto the continent. As one character said: “That’s the problem with being an explorer. If you are not first, you’ve failed.”
The characters all reacted differently. The arduous journey to Antarctica had changed them. Ingrid, who bargained with her husband to come and was so determined, acquiesced and accepted not being the first to land. She witnessed the beautiful landscape and creatures of the land and was fulfilled with that experience vs. the ‘victory of conquering a land’. She also contrasted those experiences with the horrors of whaling. “Antarctica needed no human to bring it into existence. It was furious at the men who dared to come with their harpoons and boilers to slaughter her children in her own waters, where they had been safe for all time.” Ingrid ponders the possibility of conceiving a child on the return voyage. “What if she were able to carry the essence of this place home in her own belly, a child with iceberg blue eyes?”
The crew and women take a small boat to the coast and explore for an afternoon but a storm comes up and become lost, realizing how vulnerable they were. They could be swept away or crushed by an iceberg. But they make it back and Lars receives a telegram that his major buyer was not interested in his old – the life blood of 2,000 whales.
He and the women change for the experience. Conflicts resolve. Ambitions become not important.
This book hit all the marks for a commendable work of historical fiction. The facts from which it evolved are detailed but never overtake the plot.
“The iceberg floated towards her, tall and faceted in pure, opaque white. From every crack and gouge shone a blue so intense that it hurt her eyes; a blue that made her throat catch. The center of the berg had melted out to form a cavern – a transparent pool of aquamarine surrounded by fringes of long, clear icicles. Cracks of that turquoise blue ran like veins down its side. It was like staring at a piece of sky, trapped and glowing from within the iceberg with unearthly light. Another appeared and then another, each as individual as a human face, each with its own shape carved by sea water and wind, each with its own variation of blue.”
February 3, 2018
Chasing the Light: A Novel of Antarctica, by Jesse Blackadder, admittedly spent most of its time in Norway and at sea, but I loved the opportunity to explore the world of 1930's Norwegian exploration (and whaling) through the eyes of three unusual Norwegian women caught up in the race to be the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
One of the women, Ingrid Christensen (the wife of Norwegian whaling magnate Lars Christensen) ended up with a whole coast of Antarctica named after her - but would you believe there's hardly any information about her available online? And yes, I was trying to spoil the ending by finding out who the winner was -- I failed, so I just had finish reading the book.
Another of the women, Lillimor Rachlew, was a Norwegian living in London high society who met Amelia Earhart right near the beginning, used female contraceptive and was desperate to be the first woman to do something (anything really)! Through her storyline I discovered that there was a wealthy American woman named Louise Arner Boyd who had already spend much time and money exploring the North Pole region by this period of history.
The final competitor was Mathilde Wegger, mother of two who had lost her husband a year before and was thoroughly, clinically depressed. She didn't even want to be on the expedition, but her husbands parents had given her an ultimatum - go to Antarctica or go to an asylum. I think they hoped she'd die so they could keep the kids.
What I learned from this? Antarctic waters are cold, full of icebergs and incredibly dangerous. Women in the 1930's were just as determined to explore and discover new things as their male counterparts, but it was significantly harder for them to do so. In fact, in 1937, over 1300 women applied to join the British Antarctic Expedition, but none were accepted. Also, whaling is horrible... and really sad... and, well, I guess you can't really condemn whaling without condemning all forms of farming for meat on those ethical grounds, but there is also the totally unsustainable thing - which was a theme running underneath this story of exploration. Definitely makes you think.
And the book itself? Interesting, though it took me a while to finish. I didn't like the main characters all that much, except perhaps Mathilde, who started out depressed and found her strength over the course of the voyage - she was kinda cool. I also kept wondering, with such strong characterization, if these women shared anything at all in common with their real life counterparts - I suppose it's impossible to know.
I did appreciate that Blackadder ended the book with a discussion of her research and the facts as she could ascertain them (much different in places to her portrayal in the novel). I certainly feel I've earned an interesting glimpse into a moment in time that I can build on with further reading and research.
One of the women, Ingrid Christensen (the wife of Norwegian whaling magnate Lars Christensen) ended up with a whole coast of Antarctica named after her - but would you believe there's hardly any information about her available online? And yes, I was trying to spoil the ending by finding out who the winner was -- I failed, so I just had finish reading the book.
Another of the women, Lillimor Rachlew, was a Norwegian living in London high society who met Amelia Earhart right near the beginning, used female contraceptive and was desperate to be the first woman to do something (anything really)! Through her storyline I discovered that there was a wealthy American woman named Louise Arner Boyd who had already spend much time and money exploring the North Pole region by this period of history.
The final competitor was Mathilde Wegger, mother of two who had lost her husband a year before and was thoroughly, clinically depressed. She didn't even want to be on the expedition, but her husbands parents had given her an ultimatum - go to Antarctica or go to an asylum. I think they hoped she'd die so they could keep the kids.
What I learned from this? Antarctic waters are cold, full of icebergs and incredibly dangerous. Women in the 1930's were just as determined to explore and discover new things as their male counterparts, but it was significantly harder for them to do so. In fact, in 1937, over 1300 women applied to join the British Antarctic Expedition, but none were accepted. Also, whaling is horrible... and really sad... and, well, I guess you can't really condemn whaling without condemning all forms of farming for meat on those ethical grounds, but there is also the totally unsustainable thing - which was a theme running underneath this story of exploration. Definitely makes you think.
And the book itself? Interesting, though it took me a while to finish. I didn't like the main characters all that much, except perhaps Mathilde, who started out depressed and found her strength over the course of the voyage - she was kinda cool. I also kept wondering, with such strong characterization, if these women shared anything at all in common with their real life counterparts - I suppose it's impossible to know.
I did appreciate that Blackadder ended the book with a discussion of her research and the facts as she could ascertain them (much different in places to her portrayal in the novel). I certainly feel I've earned an interesting glimpse into a moment in time that I can build on with further reading and research.
February 10, 2025
#ReadAroundTheWorld #Antarctica
This is an historical fiction set in the 1930s, by Australian author Jesse Blackadder about the first woman to visit Antarctica.
The story begins with Ingrid Christensen, wife of Norwegian whaling mogul Lars Christensen. Ingrid had always been adventurous and always harboured a deep wish to explore Antarctica. After years of home life and drudgery she decided to make a desperate bargain with her husband to let him accompany her on the next voyage on the Thorshavn, to the White Continent. Lars agreed, on condition she take a female condition with her. Grieving widow Mathilde Wegger is chosen to go, and manipulated by her in-laws to take the dangerous voyage or risk losing all she holds dear. The third woman, the ambitious and ruthless Lillemor Rachlew, is determined to make her mark on history and inveigles her way onto the voyage.
The story then follows the journey of the three very different women. It is clear from the outset there will be tensions, but hard to predict the direction these will take. At the end of the book there is a postscript that separates the fact from the fiction. Ingrid Christensen in fact made four voyages with her husband to Antarctica in the 1930s. Mathilde accompanied her on one of these voyages and Lillemor on another. The author has compressed this into one voyage for the sake of the story. Some readers have commented that they struggled with the fact that the motivations for the women making their journeys were all fictional. Basically this is the type of historical fiction that takes a bare bones factual tale and fleshes it out with story. Personally I would rather read an engaging story than a more dry factual account, but people vary in how comfortable they are on this spectrum.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Antarctica and you can feel that the author had visited herself. What I found more tedious was the competitive and unsupportive nature of the relationship between the women at times. I found Lillemor completely unlikeable, although this may be completely unfair to her, as it is an entirely fictional rendering. I wanted to like Ingrid but found my regard for her fluctuated. Be aware if you read this book there are some fairly graphic descriptions of whaling, but the author is definitely making a point about the industry. I enjoyed the element of women embarking on an adventure despite great opposition against them. 3.5 stars for me.
This is an historical fiction set in the 1930s, by Australian author Jesse Blackadder about the first woman to visit Antarctica.
The story begins with Ingrid Christensen, wife of Norwegian whaling mogul Lars Christensen. Ingrid had always been adventurous and always harboured a deep wish to explore Antarctica. After years of home life and drudgery she decided to make a desperate bargain with her husband to let him accompany her on the next voyage on the Thorshavn, to the White Continent. Lars agreed, on condition she take a female condition with her. Grieving widow Mathilde Wegger is chosen to go, and manipulated by her in-laws to take the dangerous voyage or risk losing all she holds dear. The third woman, the ambitious and ruthless Lillemor Rachlew, is determined to make her mark on history and inveigles her way onto the voyage.
The story then follows the journey of the three very different women. It is clear from the outset there will be tensions, but hard to predict the direction these will take. At the end of the book there is a postscript that separates the fact from the fiction. Ingrid Christensen in fact made four voyages with her husband to Antarctica in the 1930s. Mathilde accompanied her on one of these voyages and Lillemor on another. The author has compressed this into one voyage for the sake of the story. Some readers have commented that they struggled with the fact that the motivations for the women making their journeys were all fictional. Basically this is the type of historical fiction that takes a bare bones factual tale and fleshes it out with story. Personally I would rather read an engaging story than a more dry factual account, but people vary in how comfortable they are on this spectrum.
I enjoyed the descriptions of Antarctica and you can feel that the author had visited herself. What I found more tedious was the competitive and unsupportive nature of the relationship between the women at times. I found Lillemor completely unlikeable, although this may be completely unfair to her, as it is an entirely fictional rendering. I wanted to like Ingrid but found my regard for her fluctuated. Be aware if you read this book there are some fairly graphic descriptions of whaling, but the author is definitely making a point about the industry. I enjoyed the element of women embarking on an adventure despite great opposition against them. 3.5 stars for me.
January 6, 2025
'Chasing the Light' was certainly not the book I was expecting it to be. However, that being said, I did enjoy it immensely. The book is set in the early 1930s and the world is still largely in the grips of the Great Depression. Three very different women are set on a path which will bring them together with extraordinary experiences and conclusion.
I will give a slight word of warning. This book was recommended for the January installment of the 2025 'Reading Voyage' from 'The Book Girls' Guides.' There was a warning on the referral about frank and graphic descriptions of the technical (and gruesome) aspects of the whaling industry. Now, as someone who was forced to spend two MONTHS analyzing every single chapter of 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville (if you know what I'm talking about, you know), the intension compassion and determination to depict the heinous practices of modern commercial whaling were a challenge to get through. But I understand they were necessary to the rest of the narrative of the story.
The book is based on the real-life explorations of Ingrid Christensen, Mathilde Wegger, and Lillemor Rachlew. Christensen was married to a wealthy whaling fleet owner, Lars Christensen. So the explorations of Antarctica were an offshoot of the commercial ventures of whaling in the southern arctic waters. While it is mostly based in fact, they author acknowledges that she took a lot of liberties with the timing of events and filled in the gaps to be a compelling story. But, knowing these three women existed brought a great deal of 'spice' to the tale.
I highly recommend 'Chasing the Light' to anyone who is looking for novels of adventure and exploration, folks looking for empowering books about women trying to make their way in a man's world, or books about inter-personal relationships with women. There is the added interest layer of anyone looking for books about the whaling industry or Norway and/or South Africa in the inter-war years immediately following the New York Stock Market crash which led to the Great Depression.
I will give a slight word of warning. This book was recommended for the January installment of the 2025 'Reading Voyage' from 'The Book Girls' Guides.' There was a warning on the referral about frank and graphic descriptions of the technical (and gruesome) aspects of the whaling industry. Now, as someone who was forced to spend two MONTHS analyzing every single chapter of 'Moby Dick' by Herman Melville (if you know what I'm talking about, you know), the intension compassion and determination to depict the heinous practices of modern commercial whaling were a challenge to get through. But I understand they were necessary to the rest of the narrative of the story.
The book is based on the real-life explorations of Ingrid Christensen, Mathilde Wegger, and Lillemor Rachlew. Christensen was married to a wealthy whaling fleet owner, Lars Christensen. So the explorations of Antarctica were an offshoot of the commercial ventures of whaling in the southern arctic waters. While it is mostly based in fact, they author acknowledges that she took a lot of liberties with the timing of events and filled in the gaps to be a compelling story. But, knowing these three women existed brought a great deal of 'spice' to the tale.
I highly recommend 'Chasing the Light' to anyone who is looking for novels of adventure and exploration, folks looking for empowering books about women trying to make their way in a man's world, or books about inter-personal relationships with women. There is the added interest layer of anyone looking for books about the whaling industry or Norway and/or South Africa in the inter-war years immediately following the New York Stock Market crash which led to the Great Depression.
April 4, 2018
An inspiring read about the first women to see/land or step on Antarctica as well as the horrors of the whaling industry.
As a lover of historical fiction I did like that this story was loosely based on true events, however, I was glad that the author outlined at the end what the facts verses the fiction were. It was a little disheartening that the story told was actually mish mash of four different journeys made, but good to know nonetheless. I also enjoyed the mention of Australian explorers as well as Amelia Earhart and this inspiration she would have had on ambition women during her time.
In addition to this there was some great character development from each of the women. I really do think that a journey like that would change you personally, the world would seem like such a larger place.
Aside from personal growth I liked the insight in to the whaling industry, it is something that is so shameful that it is rarely discussed in our Australian history, yet it was an industry early Australia, especially Tasmania profited from so much. The way the animals were treated and the numbers that were murdered to fill a tanker were truly disturbing, 2000 was the figure mentioned in the novel.
I felt like there were times when the story seemed to dragged so I was thankful that I didn't have to read about the whole journey home, there was also a lack of tension in the story which meant that, at times, there was little motivation to keep reading. I think I little more excitement could have been invented since a fair chuck of the story was fabricated anyway.
Definitely a read for lovers of historical fiction looking for a more untouched setting.
As a lover of historical fiction I did like that this story was loosely based on true events, however, I was glad that the author outlined at the end what the facts verses the fiction were. It was a little disheartening that the story told was actually mish mash of four different journeys made, but good to know nonetheless. I also enjoyed the mention of Australian explorers as well as Amelia Earhart and this inspiration she would have had on ambition women during her time.
In addition to this there was some great character development from each of the women. I really do think that a journey like that would change you personally, the world would seem like such a larger place.
Aside from personal growth I liked the insight in to the whaling industry, it is something that is so shameful that it is rarely discussed in our Australian history, yet it was an industry early Australia, especially Tasmania profited from so much. The way the animals were treated and the numbers that were murdered to fill a tanker were truly disturbing, 2000 was the figure mentioned in the novel.
I felt like there were times when the story seemed to dragged so I was thankful that I didn't have to read about the whole journey home, there was also a lack of tension in the story which meant that, at times, there was little motivation to keep reading. I think I little more excitement could have been invented since a fair chuck of the story was fabricated anyway.
Definitely a read for lovers of historical fiction looking for a more untouched setting.
December 3, 2018
The book was OK. There was nothing terribly wrong with the style of writing, There was nothing really good about it either. When I was in 5th grade (lo these many years ago), my female classmates were all in love with Elvis Pressly. I was in love with Admiral Richard Byrd. I dreamed of going to Antarctica with him. People were always so surprised when I said what I really wanted to do was go to Antarctica. This was long before there were bases set up and tourists actually went there. However, when I discovered I got horribly seasick and quite nauseous flying, I decided it was a place too far and too hard to get to for me. A novel about the first women on that continent sounded like something right up my alley, and it did get good reviews. I was disappointed. None of the characters were likable except Hjalmar. The whale slaughter was absolutely appalling and made for hideous reading. I don't know why writers think they have to go into complete detail when writing about making love - who did what when and how.
March 30, 2021
28 📱🇦🇶ANTARCTICA 🇦🇶This is the third book by an Australian woman writer I have read for Antarctica, and it came highly recommended to me. It’s a fictional account of the first women to visit the great southern continent. Set in Norway in the 1930s, the story centres around whaling magnate Lars Christensen and his wife Ingrid’s journey south. Along for the ride is Mathlide Wegger grieving widow and the ambitious photographer Lillemor Rachlew. In the background is the race for exploration glory of Australian explorer Mawson. As my third read in Antarctica, Chasing the light had nice connections to the Norwegian whaling stations and penguins in Out of the Ice and the bird life in The Last Migration. However, the pace of the plot was glacial. The book is long and at times I felt it was a chore to get it finished. I’m undecided if I will read another Antarctic novel. I’m feeling the warmer climes of the South Pacific calling me.
October 15, 2025
I was pleasantly surprised with this book after reading some of the reviews but it just goes to show that opinions are subjective.
I am getting the privilege to cruise in and around Antarctica so I’ve got some novels that are set there. This one is historical fiction, a genera which I enjoy. The author uses real names here of the women and men of many of the characters in the story.
You are exposed to the whaling industry particularly of Norway in the early 1930’s, after WWI and during the Great Depression plus the women of the time struggling to go on exploration expeditions. The 3 women all come from different backgrounds and life experiences but all want to be “seen”. You also see the ruthlessness that each possesses in the want to be the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
This book is worth a read. Be prepared for a few tears and cheers.
I am getting the privilege to cruise in and around Antarctica so I’ve got some novels that are set there. This one is historical fiction, a genera which I enjoy. The author uses real names here of the women and men of many of the characters in the story.
You are exposed to the whaling industry particularly of Norway in the early 1930’s, after WWI and during the Great Depression plus the women of the time struggling to go on exploration expeditions. The 3 women all come from different backgrounds and life experiences but all want to be “seen”. You also see the ruthlessness that each possesses in the want to be the first woman to set foot on Antarctica.
This book is worth a read. Be prepared for a few tears and cheers.
March 16, 2018
I give this a 3.5 stars. I have never done much reading about antarctica, nor those explorers who went to the poles, with the exception of Ernest Shackleton. I had also not read about whaling and the details of what goes on in this industry. With women coming more and more to the forefront of being business owners, movie producers, etc., I thought it would be fun to learn about the first women to set foot on Antarctica. It was well written and I liked the way the "afterword" of the book told in detail exactly what the timeline was of who landed when, which was slightly different from the story line in the book. Pretty much all of the characters in the book were real people.
January 18, 2018
Jesse Blackadder's 'Sixty Seconds' captured me from the first paragraph, so I was automatically drawn to 'Chasing the Light' and although the story did not wrap itself around me as 'Sixty Seconds' had, I was not disappointed.
Jesse Blackadder's way with words, her heartfelt prose and her intelligence which shines through her stories to simultaneously dig at the heart and entertain make her one of my favourite authors of this time. Keep writing Jesse!
Jesse Blackadder's way with words, her heartfelt prose and her intelligence which shines through her stories to simultaneously dig at the heart and entertain make her one of my favourite authors of this time. Keep writing Jesse!
March 21, 2018
An unexpected pleasure
This is a story of 3 largely fictionalized, though real women who traveled to Antartica. Enough of the story is factual to make it a worthy read for non-fiction lovers. The adventure drew me in by the end of the first chapter. The story has everything; romance without being sappy, sex without being too graphic, well developed characters, suspense, and intrigue.
This is a story of 3 largely fictionalized, though real women who traveled to Antartica. Enough of the story is factual to make it a worthy read for non-fiction lovers. The adventure drew me in by the end of the first chapter. The story has everything; romance without being sappy, sex without being too graphic, well developed characters, suspense, and intrigue.
January 8, 2023
This was better than I expected. As I read the information at the end, it is based on actual historical events and people, among the first to explore the rugged region of Antarctica. The writing and the details made me very definitive that I would never be as brave as these people are to set off on an adventure such as the ones they took. I will say that I am appalled at what we were allowed to do to the whale populations at one point, I am very glad that has been stopped!
March 22, 2018
An exciting fictional tale of a true event.
I enjoyed reading this account of this unique journey to the Antarctic. The description of the whaling industry while gruesome, was enlightening. So many lives depended on it. It was particularly interesting to see how the whole experience changed the lives of the characters in the book. I The afterward was very much appreciated.
I enjoyed reading this account of this unique journey to the Antarctic. The description of the whaling industry while gruesome, was enlightening. So many lives depended on it. It was particularly interesting to see how the whole experience changed the lives of the characters in the book. I The afterward was very much appreciated.
April 26, 2020
Wow wow wow did this not disappoint. Incredible imagery, a fantastic blend of documeted fact, educated assumptions, and fiction.
Only complaint is the women being so catty toward each other, which there's no evidence of in real life. It feels a tad stereotypical, but the book in general was so great I *almost* don't even mind.
Only complaint is the women being so catty toward each other, which there's no evidence of in real life. It feels a tad stereotypical, but the book in general was so great I *almost* don't even mind.
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