Flora Mackie had an unconventional upbringing thanks to her father's profession as a whaler, who sailed numerous times to the Pole and often brought Flora with him, whetting her appetite for adventure and to be more than just the wife and mother Victorian society expects of her. For a while, Flora is known as the Snow Queen, but her cold exterior begins to thaw when she meets Jakob de Beyn, a fellow explorer whose passion for the Arctic matches her own...

UNDER A POLE STAR by Stef Penney is a hidden gem of historical fiction and I feel that it deserves a lot more attention than it received. It's richly detailed and Penney's vivid descriptions of the North Pole are a wonder to read through. UNDER A POLE STAR is educational, surprising, and feels extremely life-like in terms of how Flora and Jakob live their lives. I hated being apart from UNDER A POLE STAR, and despite the length of the book at 578 pages, I finished it quickly. Without spoiling anything, a number of events will be shocking to our modern sensibilities and those particular events will bring up the moral dilemmas of what will be the right thing to do.

One fault I did have with this book was the relationship between Flora Mackie and Jakob de Beyn. I found it difficult to believe in their so- called chemistry. I am not quite sure what attracted to them to each other or why they liked one another. But other than this lack chemistry, UNDER A POLE STAR is a worthwhile read in every way.

For a reader seeking a book that is historical, explores characters and their lives in a great amount of detail, takes place in the Arctic terrain, and has an amazing heroine who won't let people dictate how she should live her life, UNDER A POLE STAR by Stef Penney should not be missed.