1. At the beginning of Ice Bound, Dr. Nielsen states, "Since I have chosen to tell you about my journey to the South Pole, and the community of friends and strangers who rescued me, I need to tell you something about my life and why I made the choices that brought me there" (pg. 6). Does knowing some aspects of her personal life prior to her journey to the South Pole enhance the story? How so?

2. In your opinion, what is Dr. Nielsen's motivation for taking a position in what is probably one of the most remote places on Earth?

3. Dr. Nielsen has a close relationship with her mother, father, and two brothers. Describe how each one has influenced her life in general and how each one contributed to her survival at the South Pole.

4. When reading through the 35-year-old Navy Polar Manual, Dr. Nielsen finds a description of the types of people who typically apply for a polar expedition. Referring to herself, she says, "I wondered where I fit into the equation. Was I the escape artist or the adventurer? Maybe a bit of both, with some martyr thrown in for danger" (pgs. 77-78). Do you agree with Dr. Nielsen's assessment of herself?

5. Dr. Nielsen's estrangement with her children weighs heavily on her mind, particularly after she becomes ill. What is your opinion of the situation? Why do you think she chose to talk about something so painful in the book?

6. What were the greatest risks facing the winterover crew at the South Pole? Do you personally find any attraction to an adventure such as this?

7. In a letter to her parents, Dr. Nielsen describes the South Pole as "awful and wonderful" (pg. 97). What is it that she finds wonderful about it? What does she find awful?

8. Isolated from the rest of the world, the Polies create a community for themselves. Dr. Nielsen states, "After months of living this way, a Polie might think she was still an American, but in fact, she was now part of a different community, a subset of America with different values" (pg. 169). What does she mean by this? Can you provide some examples?

9. In a letter to Dr. Nielsen, her parents write, "You have always been a survivor in all areas of your life and I am sure you are one of the strongest links in the little isolated chain of life down there in the underworld" (pg. 117). Do you think she is one of the strongest links? If so, why? Discuss her relationship with the others at the Pole, in particular her friendship with Big John Penney.

10. The people at the South Pole communicate with the rest of the world via email. Did reading Dr. Nielsen's correspondence with her family add something to the story that a straight narrative could not have done? How about her correspondence with Kathy Miller?

11. During a "winter poetry slam," Dr. Nielsen reads a poem called "An Irish Airman Foresees His Death," the last four lines of which read: I balanced all, brought all to mind,/ The years to come seemed waste of breath,/ A waste of breath the years behind/ In balance with this life, this death. She then goes on to say that "it was only March and we didn't know each other well enough for me to explain my attraction to these last four lines" (pg. 143). What do you think her attraction is to this poem and to these lines in particular? How does she relate it to her being at the South Pole?

12. In her correspondence with Kathy Miller, Dr. Nielsen presses her for concrete facts so that she can assess her chances for survival. Why does she feel such a strong need to have all the facts, even ones that are partly based on conjecture?

13. How does Dr. Nielsen balance the line between being a doctor with a job to perform and being a cancer patient?

14. Dr. Nielsen's situation at the South Pole ignited a media frenzy. What is her reaction to this and why? Do you think it is justified? Do you recall hearing about Dr. Nielsen at the time? What were your thoughts about it?