I haven’t been as excited for a book club book in quite a while! When my book club (The Gloss) chose The Frozen River, which had been on my TBR and in my periphery for months and months, I was so glad I’d be able to stop waiting for a copy from the library and nab a paperback version to keep instead.
So, did it live up to the hype? Read on to find out!
The Summary
A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.
Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.
Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
My Review
Oh man, I loved this book. We’ve been stuck in a polar vortex here in the Minneapolis area this January, with actual air temps dipping down into the negatives, so reading about an especially cold winter in Maine in the 18th century was just what I needed to dive into while snuggled in a warm blanket. (If you love winter books too, check out our list of winter books.)
As the title of the book implies, the frozen river/weather/setting is like an extra character in the book. It’s everything I was hoping for, with deep snow, roaring fires for warmth, a couple blizzards, candle making to light the long winter nights, creaking ice, biting cold horse rides to get to laboring women…perfect.
I would describe the book as cozy, but not really in the traditional sense of a cozy mystery. The historical aspect was amazingly detailed, and I loved Lawhon’s note at the end of the book about how she came upon the very real Martha and created her story. The court scenes, descriptions of buildings, the language they use to talk, the way Martha uses a quill and ink to write in her log…all those details came together to create a historical world I got lost in every time I sat down to read.
Did I mention there’s romance? Martha’s relationship with her husband is probably just about what every person with a partner dreams about. Somehow they run an 18th century household, run a mill, raise 4 children (and heartbreakingly lose some as well), and make life work with Martha’s midwifery, all while keeping their love alive and their relationship impeccable.
The book isn’t all beauty and love, of course. A man was found dead in the river who was accused of rape, and much of the storyline features justice sought after the rape. There’s definitely a theme here about women’s rights and lack thereof in the 18th century. Martha, though, is the incredibly strong woman character raising strong daughters that helps balance that theme.
Overall, I was smitten with The Frozen River. I honestly savored it, picking up something else a few times just so it would last longer. I highly recommend adding it to your list!
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