The Wreck of the Franklin — Jules Verne

After her husband John has gone to sea and she loses her only child, Wat, San Diego resident Dolly Branican goes mad. When she recovers, four years later, she discovers that her husband's ship was lost at sea. As heir to a substantial fortune during her madness, Dolly uses these resources to finance the discovery of the whereabouts of her husband's ship, the Franklin, because she doesn't believe he is dead. Years later a clue to the fate of the Franklin is discovered in Australia, Dolly quickly goes to there to discover that her husband may still be alive in a remote part of northwestern Australia.