THE FROZEN JUNGLE

by Lawrence Earl ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 13, 1955

A first novel, (but Lawrence Earl may be remembered for his other, earlier non-fiction books, Yangtse Incident, Crocodile Fever, etc.) in which an untouched world is again the central character when a plane, with its pilot, engineer and passenger load of four crashes- off its route- on a plateau in Labrador. Hugh Greatorex, an older man, and the vice-president of Ungava Ore, is the victim of a weak heart; Prowse, his assistant, is an untrustworthy, unlikable figure; Alison Dobie, is a missionary's daughter, leaving the wilds for the first time and unworldly if knowledgeable in the ways of the north; and Lincoln Dahl, a geologist, drinks to escape a war memory. In the long months which follow Alison is the most resourceful, and guards their minimal supplies. They build a cabin, and as long as the weather permits, shoot ptarmigan, porcupine and caribou. But during the months of killing cold, their nerves are strained and bodies wasted by hunger; food is stolen- and Prowse a justifiable suspect; and Dahl, who sets out in the snow to kill him, absolves instead the guilt which had driven him to drink- so that when, with the summer thaw, they are salvaged- he is ready for his future with Alison.... The formidable forces of this frozen jungle sustain an adventure story along simple lines and give this a straightforward reality of man embattled against the elements.

Pub Date: Feb. 13, 1955

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955

Categories: FICTION