THE LAST VOYAGE OF THE KARLUK

In 1913 Newfoundlander Robert Bartlett captained the KARLUK on a doomed voyage to the Canadian Arctic; the ship was soon trapped in early ice and later sank. Bartlett led 21 men, an Inuit woman with her two small daughters, 29 dogs, and a cat across the ice to the coast of Siberia, before traveling 700 miles to seek help. Frank Holden's stoic voice is well suited to this grim story, and his Newfoundland accent is an obvious asset. A highlight of this production is the scratchy record of Chopin's FUNERAL MARCH, which provides historical ambiance and a dark mood as Holden reads the account of the sinking of the KARLUK. A.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine [Published: DEC 05/ JAN 06]