Busy Bee Cafe

Author: Michelle Paver

I picked this book up from the library. I didn’t spend time standing there and reading the excerpt as I had a toddler to chase after. It was just on the shelf and I just picked it up. I’m very glad that I did. It turned out to be a little page turner.

It’s written as a journal by Jack Miller offered a trip of a life time; an expedition to the Arctic, no man’s land. Poor and wanting a change in his life, he had nothing to lose.

The journal started with his meeting with Algie Carlisle, Hugo Charteris-Black, Teddy Wintringham and Gus Balfour. It was London, 1937.

Before the expedition even began, bad luck struck the team. First Teddy’s father passed away and with him being the heir in the family, had to pull out. Then, on the ship in Norway heading to Gruhuken, Hugo had an accident and broke his leg.

But instead of abandoning the expedition, the three remaining decided to continue.

The ship Captain Eriksson was apprehesive, trying to get the group to go elsewhere but Gruhuken all through the trip but not wanting to say why.

When they reached Gruhuken, the group was blown away by he beauty of the remote and uninhabited camp. Eriksson and the crew helped them build the cabin but never stayed on land, returning to the ship every evening.

On the day the ship was to leave and they wanted to leave before the ‘first dark’, Jack saw a figure standing in front of the cabin. Thinking it was a member of the crew, Jack called to him. He then mentioned this to Eriksson, who asked immediately if Jack spoke o him. Jack wanted to know more but they were interupted and the moment past.

The bad luck didn’t stop. Gus fell ill and after calling for help, Algie and Gus left the camp. Jack insisted on staying to keep the expedition alive, although uneasiness has started to creep on him.

Darkeness has descended. Will he survive for two week while Gus and Algie is away? What if Gus and Algie has to stay away longer and with the sea starting to freeze will they ever get back to camp?

I have to say that if you’re after gore, this is not the book.

The excitement of being in the Arctic wilderness is beautifully written. You could sense how wonderful it is being there.

But soon enough you start to sense Jack’s fear. How the isolation started to affect him mentally and physically. That thing out there, is it an ‘echo’ of the past? As he was a student of science, he tried to make sense of it.

Did he survive?

I love this book. It is not scary as such but I love the fact that I could sense fear in every word; and that, in my humble opinion, makes a good ghos story.