Sail Away in a Story – The Indestructible Tom Crean by Jennifer Thermes
We hear so much about heroic explorers who have traversed the world and this new book will introduce readers to a man who sailed on board some of the most famous frozen expeditions in history. Read on for a guest blog from author-illustrator, Jennifer Thermes, about the “Indestructible Tom Crean”.
Imagine leaving your small island home to venture into a world of daring, danger and survival. Such was the life of an Irishman named Tom Crean, who survived unimaginable peril and saved the lives of others during his time on the sea and the ice of Antarctica.
When Tom was not much more than a boy, he left Ireland to enlist in the Royal Navy. Later, by chance, he joined the Discovery expedition to the desolate, frozen continent of Antarctica. By saying yes to one random opportunity, Tom would experience the adventures of a lifetime. Tom Crean literally sailed away and into his own story.
As a map illustrator, I’m naturally drawn to tales of travellers and explorers, geography and place. Anyone who loves maps can spend hours poring over their details, wondering about the oceans and mountains and masses of land and what those places might be like. At the turn of the twentieth century mysteries remained about the frozen expanse of Antarctica, which had barely been mapped. The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration brought about expeditions to this southernmost point in the world. I found it fascinating that Tom Crean took part in three of these major expeditions—on the ships Discovery, Terra Nova, and Endurance.
Tom hauled food and supplies across the ice shelf, mended gear, and cared for the ship’s animals. Besides the physical strength needed to be a part of these undertakings, Tom learned about the mental perils of life on the ice. Months spent in cramped ship’s quarters through the long, dark Antarctic winters could crush the human spirit. But Tom’s good-natured sense of humour helped him and his fellow crewmates persevere. Tom gained the confidence of Captain Robert F. Scott and, later, Captain Ernest Shackleton.
During his time on the ice Tom saved a fellow explorer by trekking miles alone across the ice shelf for help. He experienced heartbreaking losses of animal and human life. And when the ship Endurance became trapped and sunk in the Weddell Sea, Tom was an integral part in the survival of all twenty-eight crewmembers by travelling miles across ice floes, crossing the roughest seas on earth, and climbing up and over a glacial mountain range. Both solo and as part of a team, Tom’s courageous attitude and heroic actions in the face of an otherwise certain death inspired the admiration of his crewmates. They called him “nearly indestructible.” Tom Crean chose to do what he could in the face of no other choice.
Stories are what make us human, what connects us, and what inspire us. Stories can be imagined or true. While working on The Indestructible Tom Crean I had to keep reminding myself that Tom’s incredible adventures really happened! Reading about a person’s experiences can open our minds to new possibilities and expand our lives as we sail away in stories – all through the pages of a book.
The Indestructible Tom Crean is published by Welbeck Editions and is out now.
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Federation.