Reviews with content warning for Miscarriage - The Frozen River

Book club pick of the month! This one was definitely a slooooow burn, but in the end, it burned bright. 🔥

Martha Ballard is the town of Hallowell’s midwife and healer. In a place full of secrets, gossip, and drama, Martha knows everyone and knows a little bit about everyone too. She keeps her diary in meticulous order, noting births, deaths, and general happenings in the town. So when a body is found on the frozen river, Martha is called to examine it and provide the cause of death in court, and her diary is at the center of it all.

I love a ‘based on true events’ story where the author takes some liberties here and there. Martha really was a renowned 1700s midwife whose diary was passed down for generations. As mentioned in the author’s note, Martha Ballard is the great-aunt of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, and great-great-grandmother of Mary Hobart, one of the first female physicians in the United States. She is an outstanding woman in America’s history, but one we rarely, if ever, learn about. Will we ever know what really happened in the town of Hallowell? Probably not. But we do get to see Lawhon’s version. And it’s a damn good rendition. What a story.

“Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality. That, I believe, is why so few women are taught to read and write.”

Content Warnings

rkibler24's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

readandfindout's review against another edition

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emotional medium-paced

4.25

Style/writing: 3.5 stars
Themes: 5 stars
Characters: 4.5 stars
Plot: 4 stars

Content Warnings

jennastopreading's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

As someone who is not typically a historical fiction reader, I am absolutely FLOORED at how much I enjoyed this novel! I immediately added some books by Ariel Lawhon to my wishlist. What a wonderful tribute to a remarkable midwife, Martha Ballard.

Martha's character was wise, endearing, and no nonsense. I found her likable and honorable and I loved being in her head. As a loving mother and a smart business woman, Martha was incredibly hard working and intelligent. She was kind but firm and stuck up for herself and those who were on the fringes of society when necessary - the definition of a strong female main character.

I am absolutely fascinated by birth and the ways that women were cared for before the invention of modern medicine, and this book spared no details on the subject. It was so beautifully described and showed the grace and power of women bringing life into this world.

Last but not least, Ephraim Ballard - he has my heart. Such a gentleman and the epitome of a strong, protective, loyal husband. I love him.

So many TW's for this book, so please take care before reading it if you are a sensitive reader.

Content Warnings

celeste77's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

This was surprisingly great read. I had not heard much about this book, but saw it on Libby so decided to try it. I loved it. It was a simple, but emotional story that had me guessing and trying to figure out what happened. There was also some romantic and friendship relationships sprinkled into the overall story. I loved this book. It didn't take long at all to become invested in Martha Ballard and the other characters' stories. This was also a standalone which can be a plus.

Content Warnings

mysterymom40's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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leahgustafson's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I could not wait to read this one when I first heard about it at the end of 2023. I feel like it’s been a while since I’ve read a good historical fiction, and this one is fantastic!

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This book is based on the life of Martha Ballard, an 18th century midwife living in Maine. Martha is such an inspiring person, and I love her dedication to women, mothers, and justice. I have not read much set in this time period which also added to my excitement about this one. This story highlights various ways women were treated as second class citizens and their dependence on the men in their lives. I loved Martha’s husband, Ephriam, but it’s apparent that this was not the norm.

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This story has also a mystery/thriller woven throughout. This storyline gives insight into the justice system in early America.

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The author’s note at the end of this book is fantastic! I appreciate the extra details about Martha’s life and how it shaped the ideas for this books. I look forward to digging into some of Ariel Lawhon‘s backlist!

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⚠️There are some significant trigger warnings in this book so make sure you check those out before reading!

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Check out what I'm reading next on Instagram @LeahsLitReview!

Content Warnings

anninerie's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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