Reviews with content warning for Miscarriage - The Frozen River

Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

38 reviews

jennastopreading's review against another edition

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.

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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

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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

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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

Content Warnings

jobradley's review

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.75

Somewhat sad & tense but satisfying at the end. A bit of a mystery as well. Loved the perspective of a late 1700s forward-thinking midwife. Very strong female characters.

Content Warnings

marekcornett's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Despite some major content warnings, this book was absolutely wonderful. Based on a true story of a midwife, Lawhon spun the story around 18th century laws, courts, challenges, misogyny, even modes of transportation. I learned a ton about the time period, and felt myself cheering for Martha the whole way through. Great read!

Content Warnings