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The Ice Child
Takes readers on an epic journey into the heart of the Arctic--and into one of history's most fascinating mysteries--to tell a breathtaking story of faith, courage, and a mother's indomitable love.
In The Ice Child, Elizabeth McGregor takes readers on an epic journey into the heart of the Arctic--and into one of history's most fascinating mysteries--to tell a breathtaking story of faith, courage, and a mother's indomitable love.
When Jo Harper falls in love with maverick archaeologist Doug Marshall, she also falls into Doug's obsession: the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition. In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his crew sailed two ships to the Arctic and were never seen again. Doug has spent his career in search of what happened to them, sacrificing his first marriage and his relationship with his son, John, along the way. But as he and Jo plan their future together, a shocking accident forever changes their lives.
Devastated by the accident, John goes into self-imposed hiding. Desperate to find John, Jo soon learns that his fate is curiously tied to the Franklin Expedition. Haunted by Franklin and his own past, John has ventured into the ice floes of the Arctic in search of answers to what happened to Franklin's crew and to his own life. Unbeknownst to him, a frantic search is on, not only to save his life, but the life of another he doesn't know is in jeopardy.
In The Ice Child, Elizabeth McGregor takes readers on an epic journey into the heart of the Arctic--and into one of history's most fascinating mysteries--to tell a breathtaking story of faith, courage, and a mother's indomitable love.
When Jo Harper falls in love with maverick archaeologist Doug Marshall, she also falls into Doug's obsession: the disappearance of the Franklin Expedition. In 1845, Sir John Franklin and his crew sailed two ships to the Arctic and were never seen again. Doug has spent his career in search of what happened to them, sacrificing his first marriage and his relationship with his son, John, along the way. But as he and Jo plan their future together, a shocking accident forever changes their lives.
Devastated by the accident, John goes into self-imposed hiding. Desperate to find John, Jo soon learns that his fate is curiously tied to the Franklin Expedition. Haunted by Franklin and his own past, John has ventured into the ice floes of the Arctic in search of answers to what happened to Franklin's crew and to his own life. Unbeknownst to him, a frantic search is on, not only to save his life, but the life of another he doesn't know is in jeopardy.
438 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
23 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth McGregor
14 books17 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
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Elizabeth McGregor is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Cooke. She also writes as Holly Fox.
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Elizabeth McGregor is a pseudonym for Elizabeth Cooke. She also writes as Holly Fox.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 13, 2016
I loved this book. In the late 1840's the Franklin Expedition left England in search of the Northwest Passage. The two ships, the Erebus and the Terror got stuck in the ice. Present day , Douglas Marshall is hunting for a missing canister on the island where the men on the expedition were last seen. Also present day, a mother polar bear is trying to save her cub but the ice is melting at a faster rate and she must swim farther to find food. This is fiction based on the true story of the Franklin Expedition and goes back and forth in time between England and northern Canada. Well written.
January 19, 2023
This book combines contemporary fiction with historical fiction in its depiction of the lost Franklin Arctic Expedition of the 19th century. There is gloomy realization in the past, romantic couplings in the present, and fear of dwindling environmental resources in the future. Altogether, it’s a kitchen sink mishmash.
The book revolves around the Franklin Expedition of 1845, which was confident, arrogant almost, in its assumption of sallying forth to find the mysterious missing pieces of the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. They weren’t heard from again and it took decades before all the clues to their demise were revealed. Here, we get to meet the members of the two ships with all their hopes and dreams torn asunder by the unyielding ice and weather of the freezing north. Using that historical piece as the book’s foundation, we also have present-day characters who intertwine with the famous expedition. A father and son, both obsessed by the lost men in the ice, take center stage along with their romantic partners. Oh, and there’s also a third storyline about a wandering polar bear.
A man could hear the different voices in the ice as it passed – the gentle slow-stirring sound of melted ice granules in the water, the rasp of newly frozen pancake against the bows, the greater dull thump of pieces of isolated drift.
The writing describing the tragic Franklin group and even the adventures of the polar bear elevate the book. Alas, then one has to deal with the contemporary characters and all their drama and self-centeredness. The son, for example, garners no sympathy for his single focus on history. The women are strange, one minute happy and carefree, the next in desperation mode. It just didn’t fit together. Eliminate the contemporary romantic thingy and the book would have been quite good for its description of the hell the lost expedition endured. As a reader, I was glued to the pages about the rations the men had to eat, which could have been poisoned by the profit-making of the expedition’s suppliers. Imagine being a crewmember who thought they were going to return to national recognition, only to realize they were going to die in a strange land where their bones and skeletons would only later provide an understanding of what happened. So, three stars for worthwhile historical fiction with one star subtracted for a lack of investment in the contemporary characters.
Book Season = Winter (ice, ice baby)
The book revolves around the Franklin Expedition of 1845, which was confident, arrogant almost, in its assumption of sallying forth to find the mysterious missing pieces of the Northwest Passage through the Arctic. They weren’t heard from again and it took decades before all the clues to their demise were revealed. Here, we get to meet the members of the two ships with all their hopes and dreams torn asunder by the unyielding ice and weather of the freezing north. Using that historical piece as the book’s foundation, we also have present-day characters who intertwine with the famous expedition. A father and son, both obsessed by the lost men in the ice, take center stage along with their romantic partners. Oh, and there’s also a third storyline about a wandering polar bear.
A man could hear the different voices in the ice as it passed – the gentle slow-stirring sound of melted ice granules in the water, the rasp of newly frozen pancake against the bows, the greater dull thump of pieces of isolated drift.
The writing describing the tragic Franklin group and even the adventures of the polar bear elevate the book. Alas, then one has to deal with the contemporary characters and all their drama and self-centeredness. The son, for example, garners no sympathy for his single focus on history. The women are strange, one minute happy and carefree, the next in desperation mode. It just didn’t fit together. Eliminate the contemporary romantic thingy and the book would have been quite good for its description of the hell the lost expedition endured. As a reader, I was glued to the pages about the rations the men had to eat, which could have been poisoned by the profit-making of the expedition’s suppliers. Imagine being a crewmember who thought they were going to return to national recognition, only to realize they were going to die in a strange land where their bones and skeletons would only later provide an understanding of what happened. So, three stars for worthwhile historical fiction with one star subtracted for a lack of investment in the contemporary characters.
Book Season = Winter (ice, ice baby)
September 19, 2015
The Ice Child shifts back and forth in time between the doomed Franklin expedition to find a Northwest Passage and the life of a modern-day writer who falls in love with a man obsessed with finding the traces of the Franklin expedition, then has a baby who can only be saved by a bone marrow transplant from the man's son who has carried on the father's obsession and is himself lost in the arctic. Oh and there's a polar bear who also travels in the arctic with her cub.
As you might imagine, who exactly qualifies as the title's ice child is completely ambiguous and could be any of the characters ranging from the estranged son to the sick child to the writer herself to her husband's ex-wife to the doomed ship's boy back in the 1800's and, yes, even to the polar bear cub. If the image weren't so heavy-handedly forced down our throats, I might not have felt as though I myself was trudging through an arctic wilderness hoping for survival.
As you might imagine, who exactly qualifies as the title's ice child is completely ambiguous and could be any of the characters ranging from the estranged son to the sick child to the writer herself to her husband's ex-wife to the doomed ship's boy back in the 1800's and, yes, even to the polar bear cub. If the image weren't so heavy-handedly forced down our throats, I might not have felt as though I myself was trudging through an arctic wilderness hoping for survival.
October 19, 2016
Ever since reading Dan Simmons’ The Terror I’ve been intrigued by the Franklin Expedition, so anytime I run across a book that gets anywhere near it, well, I’m there. And this book does a wonderful job of intertwining the Expedition, and those who lost their lives there, with those who spend their lives trying to unlock the secret of their fate. At the same time, both those in the past and those in the present are brought brilliantly to life.
Meticulously researched, it’s almost as if you’re there with Franklin, his second in command, Crozier, Augustus Peterman, a young boy aboard the Terror, and the rest of the crews of the two doomed ships.
And the Ice Child? You’re never told outright, but you have the choice of Sam, John, Augustus, or even the polar bear cub whose life is also intertwined with that of the Marshalls’. Actually, he gets my vote.
The book gets my highest accolade. I plan on keeping it, because I know it’s one I’ll want to return to again and again.
Meticulously researched, it’s almost as if you’re there with Franklin, his second in command, Crozier, Augustus Peterman, a young boy aboard the Terror, and the rest of the crews of the two doomed ships.
And the Ice Child? You’re never told outright, but you have the choice of Sam, John, Augustus, or even the polar bear cub whose life is also intertwined with that of the Marshalls’. Actually, he gets my vote.
The book gets my highest accolade. I plan on keeping it, because I know it’s one I’ll want to return to again and again.
April 30, 2020
I read this book for the first time over 15 years ago. The feelings I had about this book stayed with me all these years. The stories haunted me. I was lucky enough to find a hardcover copy at a second hand bookstore, so I enjoyed it all over again.
There are dual stories, one in present day and one about the doomed Franklin expedition in 1845. The Franklin expedition is told from the view point of the men on the ships and particularly from the viewpoint of a teenage boy on board the Terror. I could feel the cold, the wind, the panic that the crew experienced on their doomed journey.
The story that took place in present day was heart wrenching as well. I don't want to give too many details. Just know that this book will stay with you and haunt you long after you're done reading it.
There are dual stories, one in present day and one about the doomed Franklin expedition in 1845. The Franklin expedition is told from the view point of the men on the ships and particularly from the viewpoint of a teenage boy on board the Terror. I could feel the cold, the wind, the panic that the crew experienced on their doomed journey.
The story that took place in present day was heart wrenching as well. I don't want to give too many details. Just know that this book will stay with you and haunt you long after you're done reading it.
Read
January 12, 2016I have always been fascinated by the John Franklin Exhibition to find the Northwest Passage since reading Dan Simmons' book "The Terror." I picked up this book because it was also about someone obsessed with the ships and the men of that exhibition. Elizabeth McGregor paints a beautiful story of two children suffering through impossible circumstances: one aboard the Terror and one set in today's time. It was a beautifully written story and one I will read again. If you like history and stories of beating impossible odds - this book is for you!
January 29, 2010
I enjoyed the first half of this book detailing the arctic exploration and the polar bear seemingly following them. When the second half unexpectedly morphed into a fight to save a 2 year old's life from a rare life-threatening disease worse than Leukemia, I completely lost interest. Don't get me wrong, the book is okay but I tend to stay away from these topics as they are way to depressing to be reading for pleasure.
January 27, 2025
This fast-moving, dual-time frame novel jumps between an Antarctic expedition and a modern-day dilemma where a protagonist has to contact an academic researching the expedition for a life-or-death reason. The story's vivid and poetic portrayal of the harsh landscape and the characters' deep despair is impressive. The detailed scenes of the original expedition, filled with meticulous research, were a joy to read. While the ending was somewhat predictable, it tied everything together in a gripping and satisfying way. By the end, I was genuinely emotionally moved.
September 7, 2021
Mooi en aangrijpend.
February 17, 2012
A fast moving, dual time frame novel, which alternates beween an Antarctic exploration expedition, and the present day dilemna of one of the protagonists who must contact one of the academics concerned with researching the expedition-as a matter of life or death.
The novel really wins as it is graphic and poetic in the way it dealas with the hostile and barren landscape-and also in describing the depths of despair and anguish suffered by so many of the characters for one reason or another.
I must admit to thoroughly enjoying the scenes which covered the time of the original expedition. We see the expedition through varying eyes, and there is a huge amouunt of information and details about the hardships they suffered. Full marks to McGregor for her rigorous research.
The conclusion was virtually inevitaoble-but it all tied together very satisfactorily,bringing together the various disparate threads, in a heart stopping conclusion.
The novel really wins as it is graphic and poetic in the way it dealas with the hostile and barren landscape-and also in describing the depths of despair and anguish suffered by so many of the characters for one reason or another.
I must admit to thoroughly enjoying the scenes which covered the time of the original expedition. We see the expedition through varying eyes, and there is a huge amouunt of information and details about the hardships they suffered. Full marks to McGregor for her rigorous research.
The conclusion was virtually inevitaoble-but it all tied together very satisfactorily,bringing together the various disparate threads, in a heart stopping conclusion.
September 30, 2015
What a fascinating book. At first, I couldn't tell what it was - comedy, drama, suspense… but the stories (at least three that I can identify) are interwoven beautifully and I fall in love with each story as a new chapter begins. It tells the story of an arctic expedition it the 1800's, a modern day, love story and several others interwoven throughput. I highly recommend it.
August 18, 2015
A flawless must read! It's like having 3 Stories In one that intermingle nicely. Travel through time & go on a journey full of unknowns. If you like winter, travel, family, exploring, or need a vacation from a busy sched this book is your destination!
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Ice Child - Nevisande : Elizabeth McGregor - ISBN : 451410610 - ISBN13 : 9780451410610 - Dar 438 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2001
June 15, 2018
As a history buff, I really enjoyed the story line of the ill-fated ships trying to find their way through ice and unbelievable conditions in the Arctic.
Picked this up at a book sale, and didn't really know what it was... turns out, the chapters based on the true Franklin expedition are fascinating, so much so that I googled it and now want to read more of the true story of what happened to the ships and their crew. This was written in 2001 and more discoveries have been made, as recently as 2014.
She is a good writer, but the additional story line was sappy and a bit contrived; McGregor kept me on the edge of my seat with the fictionalized account of the captain and crew... it really shows her writing talents.
I'm glad I read it for no other reason that now I'm excited to learn more about the Franklin expedition.
Picked this up at a book sale, and didn't really know what it was... turns out, the chapters based on the true Franklin expedition are fascinating, so much so that I googled it and now want to read more of the true story of what happened to the ships and their crew. This was written in 2001 and more discoveries have been made, as recently as 2014.
She is a good writer, but the additional story line was sappy and a bit contrived; McGregor kept me on the edge of my seat with the fictionalized account of the captain and crew... it really shows her writing talents.
I'm glad I read it for no other reason that now I'm excited to learn more about the Franklin expedition.
June 30, 2022
Very disappointing and I should have stopped reading it about half way through or earlier. Meh, meh, meh. The Franklin sections were worth it, and I'm not sure why it just wasn't left at that -- but noooo, let's jump around in time, add a polar bear mother and cub, an angst ridden late teen, and ta da, a toddler who has a extremely serious medical condition. Really? Why? Slice out the schlock and keep the story to a simple, humanizing tale of the Franklin expedition. Probably could have used a monkey somewhere in this mess...
August 28, 2023
Well written, quite "engrossing" (as it says on the cover). Multiple story lines across centuries are woven together. There's John Franklin's ill-fated expedition to find the Northwest Passage in 1845. Jo's life first as a single woman, then almost married, and then with a son who needs the help of her almost husband's son who disappears into the artic. Then there's the polar bear and her cub. It actually all comes together in an interesting and informative way. The author conjures up a believable story of the expedition and the emotions of a woman who's son is in danger.
July 2, 2018
This book is full of surprises. Three storylines in three different places with one story 100 years earlier all following a similar path, but the ending is so unpredictable. I love history and animals, so this really interested in me in both areas. I really felt apart of the stories, especially the polar bear and the young teenager on the Franklin expedition. Just when you are sad, afraid you know where this story is going so you want to put it down but don't.
March 7, 2019
These three interwoven stories deserve three ratings. Polar bears three stars - compelling but incomplete. Historic expedition five stars - fascinating.... although I might have to take some away depending on accuracy. Modern sappy romance two stars. I guess I had less a chance of reading it if it was simply history, so the overall effect of folding the expedition into a novel served its purpose. I'll suggest it to some archaeologist buddies and see what they think.
July 28, 2019
Met deze warme dagen het idee opgepakt om een ijskoud boek te pakken. Helaas viel het verhaal mij erg tegen. Ik moest mij echt door het eerste deel heen worstelen. Het was heel informatief, de personages werden neergezet maar verder er gebeurde weinig voor mijn gevoel. Het tweede deel was een stuk leuker maar ook heel voorspelbaar. Van sommige stukken begrijp ik ook niet goed wat het met het verhaal te maken heeft. Het idee was erg leuk maar het viel mij erg tegen.
March 3, 2025
This book follows several story lines- the crew of the Erebus and Terror as they try to find the Northwest Passage. the trek of a polar bear and her unhealthy cub, and Jo Harper, a woman who finds and loses love and faces challenges of her own. The stories parallel each other but not in such a way as to be obvious from the start.
I loved the history of ice exploration in the 1800's. The ambition, ingenuity, hubris and luck, and sometimes lack thereof, kept me turning the pages.
I loved the history of ice exploration in the 1800's. The ambition, ingenuity, hubris and luck, and sometimes lack thereof, kept me turning the pages.
October 11, 2022
Abandonado (en casi 60%) Los dramones tipo telenovela turca, predecibles y llenos de clichés no son lo mio. El desenlace de la parte historica la conoces desde el principio (tambien drama) asi que saber el como pasó no me atrae nadita. Los capitulos mas interesantes eran los de la osa, pero no fué suficiente para seguir.
April 16, 2018
Just finished re-reading this intricately done historical novel that comes with a nice postscript..."The Ice Child" by Elizabeth McGregor is an interesting take on obsession, the miracle of love, and an ill fated journey into the icy waters and islands in 1845 by the Franklin expedition...
April 4, 2023
I loved this story. I loved how she wove fact and fiction but not so far fetched to raise eyebrows. I loved the parallel of the polar bear as well. It was well written and yes, as in some reviews, a few of the characters were a bit tiresome but still I enjoyed it all.
February 23, 2024
This book was just okay for me. The second half of the book was definitely better than the first half. The first half was drawn out and a little boring at times. I’m still not sure why the story of the bear was needed at all.
August 26, 2024
I loved this book. It tells three stories - four? - connected through a century and a half and two locations. The characters in all of the threads are well-described and lead the reader to care about outcomes.
June 12, 2017
This is an excellent book. The three intertwining stories were easily kept straight. I really enjoyed this read and definitely recommend.
October 10, 2017
Cheryl 2017
May 29, 2018
Elizabeth McGregor dedicated her precious child
to another child.
to another child.
June 18, 2018
A rich tapestry of emotional storytelling.
September 9, 2018
e mezzo... carino
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews