Book Review of
The Frozen River

Lynn's Review

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon is a historical Fiction published in 2023. 

After listening to an interview with the author, I knew I wanted to read this book. 

Set in Maine in 1789, it is based on the life of Martha Ballard, a midwife. The book takes place for one winter, but there are some flashback sections where Martha is remembering the past. 

This book is historical fiction with a mystery woven within the story. 

This book will be one of my top fiction reads of the year. It was so well written. Once I started this book, I could not put it down. 

This book deals with tough topics like rape and murder. It goes into graphic detail about birth and death. It deals with crimes against women and the lengths men will go to to protect the women they love. 

This book is a challenging read, but that is precisely why I loved it. It speaks of humanity. The good and the bad of it. It covers the everyday, real-life decisions that people would have made. 

The Frozen River left me thinking about what I would have done and how I would have reacted if I had lived the life of Martha Ballard. 

Sometimes, I want to read a book that wraps up in a pretty bow, like a Hallmark movie, but most of my all-time favorite fiction books are books like this one. They give you a picture of real life, the good and the evil.