The Frozen River: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel
From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who investigates a shocking murder that unhinges her small community.
BUY THE BOOK
Join a book club that is reading The Frozen River: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel!
Community Reviews
What Bookclubbers are saying about this book
✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI
Readers say *The Frozen River* is a richly detailed, immersive historical novel inspired by real-life midwife Martha Ballard. Reviewers agree it power...
My rating went from a 6 to a 7 when I read the author’s note and realized the main character is inspired by a real person. In the book, I found Martha to be unrealistically liberated, forward-thinking, and outspoken for the time period. She had moments of prescience that were distracting to me as a reader. Her final confrontation with North was over the top. But, understanding more about the author’s motivations added context to the things I disliked.
thenextgoodbook.com
What’s it about?
Ariel Lawhorn brings 1789 Maine to life in this work of historical fiction. Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine in the late 1700s. She kept a daily record of her life and Ariel Lawhorn uses this record to create a story of what might have happened during one cold winter in 1789 when the crime of rape was alleged. Being a midwife and healer meant Martha was privy to many of the town’s secrets and Lawhorn uses this fact to create the story.
What did it make me think about?
The historical imbalance of power between men and women.
Should I read it?
Well, this was just an excellent work of historical fiction. I walked away with a much better idea of what life was like in our country’s early years. The Ballard family made for a great cast of characters to illuminate life in the 1700s. I read this one for book club and I can not wait to hear everyone’s take on a few details… Pick this one up!
Quote-
“Rape is a capital offense in the States, punishable by hanging. But in all my five decades, I have seen only one man dangle at the end of a rope for that crime. It is nearly impossible to prove, and, until lately, most men caught doing so were dispatched before the courts could be involved. The recent War of Independence and the subsequent ratification of the Constitution has put a basic framework of laws in place to deal with such transgressions. There is more of a deterrent now to keep an aggrieved father or brother from taking justice into his own hands.”
What’s it about?
Ariel Lawhorn brings 1789 Maine to life in this work of historical fiction. Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine in the late 1700s. She kept a daily record of her life and Ariel Lawhorn uses this record to create a story of what might have happened during one cold winter in 1789 when the crime of rape was alleged. Being a midwife and healer meant Martha was privy to many of the town’s secrets and Lawhorn uses this fact to create the story.
What did it make me think about?
The historical imbalance of power between men and women.
Should I read it?
Well, this was just an excellent work of historical fiction. I walked away with a much better idea of what life was like in our country’s early years. The Ballard family made for a great cast of characters to illuminate life in the 1700s. I read this one for book club and I can not wait to hear everyone’s take on a few details… Pick this one up!
Quote-
“Rape is a capital offense in the States, punishable by hanging. But in all my five decades, I have seen only one man dangle at the end of a rope for that crime. It is nearly impossible to prove, and, until lately, most men caught doing so were dispatched before the courts could be involved. The recent War of Independence and the subsequent ratification of the Constitution has put a basic framework of laws in place to deal with such transgressions. There is more of a deterrent now to keep an aggrieved father or brother from taking justice into his own hands.”
3.5 ⭐️ Sweet story loosely based off of real characters. It took a bit for me to become invested in the characters, but the plot kept me invested enough to keep going. The time period and added details of said time made for interesting parallels to stories heard from grandparents.
This was my first historical fiction and I am so happy that I picked this one. What an amazing read, and what a story to be told. It's easy to see why this book was so well received.
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.