Skip to content

Richard and Judy Autumn Book Club Pick: Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney

Under a Pole Star by Stef Penney is one of the Richard and Judy Book Club Picks for this coming autumn and out in paperback now. A panoramic historical epic and an unforgettable love story from the author of the Costa-winning The Tenderness of Wolves, this is perfect for fans of Sarah Perry, Jessie Burton and Donna Tartt.

‘A terrific and beautifully written yarn that will make readers yearn to travel and fall in love in a cold climate’The Times

‘A dazzling tale of romance and survival’The Guardian

We have 10 sets on offer for 10 lucky reading groups. Please log in and get in touch with the contact listed below to request copies for your group.

About the book

Flora Mackie was twelve when she first crossed the Arctic Circle on her father’s whaling ship. Now she is returning to the frozen seas as head of her own expedition of exploration.

Jakob de Beyn was raised in Manhattan but his yearning for new horizons leads him to the Arctic as part of a rival expedition. When he and Flora meet there is an instant connection that slowly builds to become an all-consuming love. The affair survives the growing tensions between the two groups. Then, after one last glorious summer on the Greenland coast, Jakob joins his leader on an extended trip into the interior, with devastating results.

The stark beauty of the Arctic, where pack ice can crush a ship like an eggshell, and the empty sweep of the tundra, alternately a snow-muffled wasteland and an unexpectedly gentle meadow, are vividly evoked. Against this backdrop Stef Penney weaves an irresistible love story, a compelling look at the dark side of the golden age of exploration, and a mystery that Flora, returning one last time to the North Pole as an old woman, will finally lay to rest.

About Stef Penney

Stef Penney grew up in Edinburgh. She has degrees in Philosophy and Theology and Film and TV, and was selected for the Carlton Television New Writers Scheme and has since written and directed two short films. She is the author of The Tenderness of Wolves and The Invisible Ones.

You can find out more about Under a Pole Star and hear more from Stef Penney on Richard and Judy’s Book Club website.

News

Radio 2 Book Club - Winter titles

The Winter season of the Radio 2 Book Club is out now, with brilliant brand-new fiction titles to discover. The BBC Radio 2 Book Club is on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. It features a wide range of titles and authors, recommending great reads from both new and much-loved writers, encouraging listeners to perhaps try out a genre they might not have read before, and share their opinions and insights on the titles and great reads they’re enjoying right now.

Resources

How to start a reading group

Interested in joining a reading group or starting one of your own? Download our quick guide to getting started. You can also download icebreaker questions to help get your discussion started, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.

News

Discussion guides

We know how useful a discussion guide is for your book club meeting, so here you’ll find some recent guides provided by publishers. Free to download, you can use them to help choose your next book and guide your discussion.

View our other programmes