Pennington, of Kewaskum, Wis., is an award-winning newspaper columnist and bestselling author of 10 books. She is both a lively storyteller and entertaining lecturer.

Pennington traveled to England and Scotland to research Shackleton’s epic 1914 travels aboard the ship Endurance with his crew of 27. The incredible feats achieved during the voyage have inspired generations.

Shackleton and his crew sought to conquer one of the few remaining explorative feats of his time: a complete on-foot crossing of the Antarctic continent. But before reaching land, their ship became trapped in rapidly forming ice 100 miles off the coast.

The crew, stranded 11,000 miles from home, waited for the spring thaw through nine long months of blizzards, gales and temperatures nearing 100 degrees below zero. The men then watched in horror as their ship succumbed to the pressure of the frozen ocean, breaking to rubble and sinking before the waters around it had a chance to melt. The crew’s only hope for survival was to attempt an escape across the most treacherous waters on the face of the globe in three salvaged lifeboats.

Rochelle Pennington

Journal entries penned by crewmembers who served on board the ship Endurance pay tribute to the unique and effective leadership style Shackleton used to safely deliver every one of his men from nearly two years of disaster and perils in the frozen world of Antarctica where danger threatened life, limb and sanity.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Mariel Carter at the Stephenson Public Library, 715-732-7570.