Those who are familiar with the legendary Shackleton Endurance expedition may think they know the story, but in reality, they only know part of the story. Mrs. Chippy's Last Expedition is the story of the voyage from quite a different point of view -- that of the ship's cat, Mrs. Chippy.
Told in the format of Mrs. Chippy's diary, the story of the fated Endurance is brought to a whole new level (pardon the pun). Through the eyes of a cat, the occurrences aboard the ship are presented in a much more objective way. Mrs. Chippy's journal "reports" the events, while those who know the back-story can project what the events really mean for the crew of the ship.
For those less-familiar with the details of the Shackleton voyage, a wealth of footnotes in the book provide ample background. I have heard from one friend, though, that the multitude of footnotes did prove to be very distracting for her as a reader.
Caroline Alexander, who penned this wonderfully innovative interpretation, has such a way of explaining a Mrs. Chippy's reasoning, I believe I better understand my own cats' behavior.
This is a must-read for both cat-lovers and Shackleton afficionados everywhere.
