Jerri Nielsen was a forty-six year old doctor working in Ohio when she made the decision to take a year's sabbatical at an Antarctic research station. As the physician for 41 researchers, construction workers and other support staff, her job was to keep them mentally and physically fit. This is her own account of her experiences, and at the core is a powerfully moving drama of love and loss, of one woman's voyage of self-discovery and courage, and the very personal struggle for survival.