This was a very nice and chill read before bed. I loved the photos in the book as well.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

What a rare woman indeed. Edith "Jackie" Ronne was absolutely remarkable in so many ways. From her earlier childhood of escaping from a bad childhood, to her teen years with her aunt and uncle, to the meeting of Finn Ronne and how that changed her course of life to be included in the history books in a way that was a first for many various reasons. Her tenacity to keep going, her wit to seem to be able to read situations and balance the delicacies of relationships with people and companies without making false steps, even to promoting her husband above herself, as it was his mission to go to the Antarctic in the first place, no matter where she seemed to go, Jackie was able to capture attention and praise. What a seriously fascinating woman.
*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This review is my own opinion*

Jackie Ronne reclaims her rightful place in polar history as the first American woman in Antarctica.

The aim of this book is clearly to set the record straight and to acknowledge ‘Jackie’ (formally Edith) Roone as an important contributor to the history of Antarctic exploration and understanding. Her popular writings brought the Antarctic to life for ordinary people and sustained interest in Antarctic expeditions.

In one communication from the Antarctic, she wrote:

“No words can do justice to the grandeur of the great snowy mountains that tower up all around the island, the massive glaciers … always cracking, grumbling and roaring, the vast sapphire icebergs growling their way like huge animals through the smaller ice of the bay, the long Antarctic sunsets turning the snowfields pink, the bare rock, and the whistling winds.” (1947)

This wasn’t the life she was born into, in fact, she was rescued from poverty by her aunt and uncle who sponsored her school and university education in a period when few women had such an opportunity. In her teens Jackie moved in and, on one occasion, they all went to a lecture on the Antarctic given by explorer Admiral Byrd who had recently returned from US Antarctic Service Expedition (1939-1941). None of them could have realised how significant this would become.

A bright and able woman, Jackie secured a job in the US Department of State working on the war effort, but the job also meant she crossed paths with the movers and shakers of her time, men and women who formed the basis of her social life. One evening in 1942 she agreed to go on a blind date. That was when she met Lieutenant Commander Finn Ronne. Some 20 years older than Jackie, Finn, Norwegian by birth, and a member of the expedition led by Admiral Byrd, charmed and fascinated Jackie with his passion for the Antarctic. The following year Finn and Jackie were married. Her love for Finn was inseparably intertwined with the Antarctic, which became her life-long passion too.

The book spends a great deal of time detailing Jackie’s role in organising Finn Ronne’s own expedition,1946-1948. Her job meant that she understood the workings of government and had the necessary contacts and, moreover, the skills necessary for the punctilious preparation required for an Antarctic expedition. She also took control of publicity, vital for the funding of the trip, often writing pieces in Finn’s name. Jackie eventually took a leave of absence from her job and became a vital, if in acknowledged, member of the team – whilst fulfilling the domestic role of the dutiful housewife.

Jackie didn’t expect to go with Finn to the Antarctic even when she and Jennie Darlington, the wife of pilot Harry Darlington, agreed to travel with the men as far as Argentina. But Finn realised that Jackie’s skills were vital to the success of the expedition and without consulting the men invited the woman along, to the consternation of many of the team including Jennie’s husband. This, and Finn’s uncompromising leadership, set the mood for division and discontent for which the expedition is renowned.

So it was that Finn ensured that Jackie was the first woman to step onto Stonington Island in 1947, as a member of the Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition (RARE). She was also the first woman to take to the air over Antarctica. A few other women had been to Antarctica with navel husbands but none as members of an expeditionary team. (Incidentally, Jennie’s role in supporting the scientific effort on the trip goes largely unrecognised by the Ronnes).

Jackie made it her life’s work to maintain the RARE legacy, organise Finn’s future missions to Antarctica, and influence public perception of the Antarctic through her lecture tours and writings (often still ghosting for Finn). She also influenced early tourist voyages to the Antarctic and was a consultant on the international Arctic Treaty of 1966.

That is the biography. What underlines it, however, is a story of another age, when women had to tread carefully on what was seen as men’s territory. In Jackie’s words:

“Women, they say, would be a disturbing element on an expedition with a group of men living in close quarters… It would be completely impractical to worry about the welfare of womenfolk when there are serious aims and objectives to accomplish.… Every member of the party must pull his share of the load. To be a participant, a person must have sound scientific qualifications — not just the urge for glamour to be the first there.”

Throughout the trip and into the future Jackie would continue to underplay her own (and Jennie’s) personal experiences, believing it detracted from her husband’s accomplishments and the RARE legacy that Jackie helped to construct.

Jackie distanced herself from other members of the team in her role as expedition leader’s wife too and Finn eventually formalised this when he nominated her as leader in the event of his death. Strangely, she did not develop a friendship with Jennie either, who wrote:

“Now we should be confiding our fears to each other, drawing strength, the one from the other, but I knew that any overture I made would be rebuffed or would result in further embarrassment.”

On their return again it was Jackie’s domestic situation that fascinated the American public. Headlines such as “Antarctic Housewife,” focused on experiences that readers could identify with. And she did little to set the record straight.

Finn was happy to underplay his wife’s role too. In Kafarowski’s words:

Finn’s primary concern was that Jackie assists him in his work. He demanded much of her: an able workmate to help write his speeches, lectures, and books, and help him edit his films; a partner who could act as his legal proxy in all matters in his absence; an advisor who could help guide his career; and a “traditional” wife who would provide him with a happy home.

This subservience comes across as shocking today. We are reading about times that are well within living memory. It’s not just Finn’s attitude but Jackie’s acceptance of it that is hard to read. Although in 1966, when the world was changing for women, she did write to Finn in a private letter saying:

There has been very little give and take in our marriage — just mostly take — you have never been a companion to me — my worries have never been taken to heart by you — you have always been too preoccupied with your own affairs.

But it wasn’t until after Finn’s death that she became more vocal about her role. Her daughter, Karen, recalls “Previously Jackie downplayed her own role in the expedition because she thought that’s what he wanted … and she was right.”

Antarctic Pioneer then is as much a sociological read on the role of women in the mid-twentieth century as it is about Antarctic exploration. There are few lyrical descriptions of the icescape and majesty of the continent and the account of the expedition sticks to the facts about Ronne’s role rather than launching off into tales of exploration. Instead, we come away with a sound sense of a remarkable woman with a strong sense of self but one who is willing to subjugate her own life to that of her husband.

However, Jackie Ronne’s successful participation in the RARE expedition, her work as an Antarctic pioneer and her lifelong promotion of the Antarctic paved the way for the next generation of women who would work in, explore and make policy decisions about Antarctica.

Review by Deborah Gray

This was such an unexpected favourite. Not that I thought I’d dislike it, but I didn’t think that I’d love it as much as I did and that I’d end up fascinated by the exploration of Antarctica. Honestly I’ve never put much thought into it at all, but now I’m truly curious about it – so that itself would make this reading experience a win. But then you add on the story of Jackie Ronne herself – a woman who made history – and I’m totally sold.

This was such a well researched and well written book! My absolute favourite type of non fiction books are the ones that give you all the information you need while also telling you everything kins of like a story. This book gives you an overview of the life of Jackie Ronne while focusing on her involvement in her husband’s exploration of Antarctica, and on her place in history as the first woman to live there.

I really like the way that the author highlighted the time period that this was taking place during. They pointed out that Jackie’s contributions were downplayed by herself due to the sexist stereotypes of the time while also stating what nonsense that was. This is a woman who made history and even if everyone wanted/s to downplay that it doesn’t take away how monumental everything was.

Honestly this was just a fascinating book. It was something that I knew nothing about and am now fascinated by and it was a really well done book

If you like nonfiction and/or want to learn about someone that history appears to have left behind then I highly suggest this book.

Good biography of a little-known woman.

I enjoyed this biography of Edith "Jackie" Ronne, wife of polar explorer Finn Ronne and the first woman to overwinter in the Antarctic. Contrary to my expectations, Jackie Ronne was not an explorer or scientist, but when she accompanied her husband, at his request, on his expedition, she became more than a passenger. As well as achieving several "firsts", she handled most of the communication with the newspapers and ever after was known, at least to some degree, as an adventurer in her own right.

However, both Ronnes don't seem to be very well known, and this lively and informative biography has a lot of information about Finn Ronne as well as his wife. I would have liked more about the expedition they were on together, but I understand that the author wanted to focus mostly on Jackie Ronne. Jackie had a very interesting life and it was fun reading about her. I'm a little obsessed by books about polar exploration and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this one.

I'd like to thank the publisher, Dundum Press, and Netgalley for kindly providing me with an advance release copy, I really appreciate it.

In 1947 Jackie (Edith) Ronne, married to Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne, became the first woman to stay on Antarctica for almost a year. Initially only helping to plan RARE (Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition), Jackie found herself drawn to the vast continent & when the opportunity came up, she decided to go on the expedition after all. The wife of another RARE member also went but it was Jackie who took center stage as the one who wrote up dozens of articles to keep the expedition at the forefront of the public's minds.

It was a difficult expedition from the start as it took quite a lot of fundraising & Jackie & Finn felt they didn't receive the full backing of some influential people. Bad luck also dogged the trip when one of their planes (which was to be used to take landscape photographs of Antarctica) was badly damaged beyond repair when being loaded onto the ship, & one of the expedition members had to be let go before they even set sail. Things weren't much better when they arrived at the East Station where they were supposed to stay, & everyone was aghast at the mess that had been left by ransackers & illegal occupiers since it was last officially in use.

Still, they made the best of it & their expedition was successful in the end with thousands of square miles of unmapped land being photographed, & it was proved beyond a doubt that Antarctica was one continent & not divided by sea. There's not a lot of detail about the expedition itself, the book is more about the relationship between Jackie & Finn, & also the others on the trip. It seems Finn could be quite difficult to work & live with & there were divides which flared up amongst the crew that lasted the rest of their lives.

Even though Jackie wrote a great deal about the expedition whilst there & when she returned, a lot of it was published under the names of others, & Jackie has almost been airbrushed out of the history of Antarctic exploration - I had certainly never heard of her before I requested this book to read. Although she fought to ensure her husband's legacy was remembered after his death, her own achievements have been almost forgotten, & she didn't seem to join the fight for feminism in general. Although she had these amazing opportunities (she returned to Antarctica later in life as a tour guide), her outlook was still very traditional.

I enjoyed reading about the expedition & about its place in polar exploration, & it was interesting to read about some of the women who later went on to have much more active roles. Jackie was not only successful in Antarctica but held several jobs of responsibility, was a member of Society of Women Geographers, & the Ronne Award for Antarctic Research or Exploration was awarded to two recipients in 2011 & 2014. Yet the early history of polar exploration is still very much male-focused. Let's hope this book can go some way to changing that.

Thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Dundurn Press, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

An interesting look at the life of Jackie Ronne. She was the wife of Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne and accompanied him on an expedition for over a year.
I’ve read a few books about the people who experienced Antarctica but was unfamiliar with Ronne. Antarctica played a huge role in her life, privately and personally. The author does a good job in illustrating Ronne’s life and her active participation in promoting Antarctica.
It’s an interesting biography.

I absolutely love reading biographies about accomplished women overlooked by history books. I'd never heard of Jackie Ronne before reading this, but this was an excellent and well-researched look at her life and accomplishments as one of the first American women in Antarctica.

Recommended for anyone interested in the history of Antarctic exploration or anyone interested in reading about accomplished women!

This is a fascinating biography. I had never heard of Jackie Ronne before, but now I feel like I know her and would like to know her better. A great work of nonfiction makes the reader want to learn more about the topic. I would like to read the books Jackie and her husband wrote.
In addition to a well-written, well-researched narrative, the book includes beautiful photos of Jackie, her family and associates as well as photos and illustrations relevant to the Antarctic expedition. Appendices list the scientific contributions made by the Ronne expedition and a timeline of women's exploration of the Antarctic.
The author discussed Jackie's perspective and experiences based on cultural norms of the time. It was very interesting to read about how Jackie functioned as a professional in the shadow of her husband. It places her career into context. I cannot help but wonder how Jackie was compensated for much of her early work. In some cases she was probably an unpaid appendage of her husband. I would have liked to know more about this aspect of her career.
Overall, I really enjoyed this biography and would recommend it to anyone interested in women's history, polar exploration, and biographies of historically important women.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

You know the story, girl meets boy, boy invites girl to explore Antarctica with him, girl becomes trailblazing pioneer. Tale as old as time.

The story of Jackie Ronne is similar to many, many kickass women who for too long have been dismissed as "and his wife" instead of recognizing the work, advances, discoveries and explorations they themselves did. An excellent, full biography about an important member of the history of Antarctica exploration.

3.5 stars. I wish to thank NetGalley and Dundurn Press for the advance copy of Antarctic Pioneer in return for my honest review. It introduced me to this remarkable woman and her accomplishments. Jackie Ronne played an early role in opening opportunities for women in occupations formerly regarded as reserved for men. Throughout her life, she encouraged women to follow their dreams, work towards any occupation they wanted, become explorers, and take major positions on Antarctic bases. Within her lifetime, she saw the hostile Antarctic environment transformed. Where it was only regarded as temporary stays for the roughest and most accomplished men to endure, now there are permanent scientific bases where male and female experts work together in relative harmony. Some bases have schools for children, a post office, a bank, and babies have been born there. In her later life, Jackie supported the Antarctic Treaty and was a pioneer in advocating opening the continent for polar tourism.

This was an impeccably researched book. I was pleased with the addition of many photographs and maps, which helped bring the characters and the ice station to life. I thought the book was written in textbook or newspaper style and omitted details that would have brought some of the human drama and living conditions forefront. I felt sections could be shortened, especially Jackie's incessant excursions into high society towards the end. This was important as it emphasized contacts who helped advocate for her goals of bettering cooperation and working conditions on the frozen continent, but I thought it became repetitive.

Jackie married Antarctic explorer Finn Ronne. She worked at the State Department, and neither planned to have a typical 1940's married life. She accompanied him on his 1946-1948 Ronne Antarctic Research Expedition, was the first American woman to set foot in the Antarctic and was the first of two women to spend a year there over the long, dark winter months. Having women along was met with hostility by the men. Many resented Finn's leadership style. His inflexible management, supposed paranoia, strictness, anger, and orders for hard work and discipline made him unpopular with his crew. The men were younger and bound for adventure. Jackie stayed out of their way when possible, except when using diplomacy to mend disputes. The base itself had been looted when they arrived and was in deplorable condition.

Much of the organization and reports were left to Jackie, and she became a valuable expedition member. She usually gave credit to her husband for her part in the tasks to preserve his legacy. She minimized her contributions in his books and marginalized her achievements. In this well-documented book, she diminished her place in history. The author has helped restore her importance.

The Ronne expedition was successful, with exploration, mapping, and photographing of much unknown coastline and surface, but Finn's reputation was diminished. Even Admiral Byrd did much to undermine him. Finn participated in 9 polar expeditions during his lifetime. From 1956-to 57, he was the military and scientific leader at Ellsworth station during the International Geographic Year. Jackie remained home but wrote to him, urging him to avoid disputes, but his leadership role was diminished due to unpopularity with others.

After his death, Jackie became a powerful force advocating for the Antarctic. She returned to the place she remembered and loved on a luxury cruise with their daughter 50 years after living and working there.

Recommended to those interested in women's gains in the workplace, especially in areas usually reserved for men, Polar exploration, the history of Antarctica, and modern women explorers.

This is my second book by this author about female polar explorers and I enjoyed it as much as I did the first one. This one is great with the love story between Jackie and Finn. I think Jackie was far more than an ordinary American girl before becoming an explorer though. Her college degree and job with the Department of State weren’t the usual back in the late 1940s. She was very accomplished. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I enjoyed learning more about Antarica and the first American woman in the Antartictca I love reading about firsts for women. Though I dream of a day when don't have to to hear about the first women because we have smashed all those barriers.