North

In the fading years of the nineteenth century, five men meet in one of Washington's most elegant townhouses. They are all powerful men - with one exception. For Washington's finest have gathered to plan an expedition to the North Pole, and Lieutenant William Parish has been chosen as its leader. As Lt Parish sets off into the unknown, he leaves behind him a young wife, Martha. Isolated and at first oblivious to the political machinations of those backing the expedition, Martha soon discovers the treachery of those in whom she has placed her trust. Meanwhile, as Parish struggles to hold his party together, each man is confronted with the darker side of his instinct to survive. Based on a true story, this is powerful novel about what has been called 'one of the most shameful episodes in American Arctic history'.