Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

10 reviews

booksbri's review

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Blood, Abandonment, and War

immovabletype's review

emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Cursing, Genocide, Racial slurs, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Vomit

dkamada's review against another edition

hopeful informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Martha reminds me of Claire from the Outlander series

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Colonisation

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5

In Maine, 1789, Martha Ballard, a midwife, is called to examine a dead man who was found in the frozen river. Martha immediately recognizes him as one of the men accused of raping a local woman. She's certain the two crimes are connected.

This an incredibly intriguing and thought provoking story. The author blends fact and fiction to bring this historical fiction to life. This is a heartbreaking story, and caution should be given as there is much discussion of rape. 

Maine acts as its own character in this book, with its difficult winters and beautiful landscape as a backdrop. I loved the vivid descriptions of the landscape throughout the story. 

During a time when women had no rights or freedoms, Martha was an outspoken advocate for her patients. She's a strong, empathetic, and courageous woman who goes to extreme lengths to protect and care for the women in her community. 

This book does a really great job at exploring the role and treatment of women at this time. Martha lived in a time when women were seen as less than. You could be charged for having a baby out of wedlock, but of course there were no repercussions for the man. Martha fought for justice even when all odds are against her. Even as a midwife, she was looked down upon by the male doctors. 

The murder mystery element within the story was very compelling.

We were given some clues that pointed to Sam as the murderer earlier on. So I had an idea that it may have been him, but I couldn't figure out his motivation. That came as a surprise.

 

I'm really happy that North got what he was due.

I actually burst out laughing when Martha cut off his *appendage*. As she said, he can't hurt any women now.

I felt as though the story could have been a little shorter, there were some scenes that didn't really add to the book. Also, there are a lot of characters who I lost track of and had to go back and figure out how they fit in the story.

The Frozen River was inspired by Martha Ballard (February 9, 1735 – June 9, 1812), a midwife who delivered hundreds of babies and never once lost a mother during birth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Blood, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

celery's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

krheath's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infidelity, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Abandonment

torturedreadersdept's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Confinement, Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, Slavery, Excrement, Grief, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and War

lindsaybethlyons's review

emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Minor: Ableism, Child death, Incest, Grief, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

suzywong's review

challenging informative inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death and Abandonment

mels_reading_log's review

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

Martha Ballard is a badass midwife from the late 1700’s living in the newly settled USA. I am obsessed with her and how strong and opinionated she was for that time period, she was a smart and talented woman and when she spoke people listened. She also has such a loving husband and amazing kids. I didn’t know until I got to the end that she was a real person and this book was based loosely on the actual journals that she kept. I love a book about a strong matriarch.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: War