Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

20 reviews

nimeneth's review

adventurous emotional 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

4.0

I very much appreciated this tale of Martha Ballard and what was likely the way of things in late 18th century Maine. Interesting look at how the legal system looked, and also the beginning of the transition from trusting the midwives to trusting doctors to deliver babies even if it's only touched upon briefly in the book. As it's fiction, I appreciate the fact that most of the women presented are strong and independent in their own way, but I do have to take that with a grain of salt because it was probably very unusual during that time-frame for a woman to be the one to piece together a murder mystery...

Still, really enjoyed the plot overall and I was a little surprised by the culprit of the murder, Lawhon crafted that part of the tale very well and it's not outlandish within the scope of the story. Glad my book club picked this one and I was able to get my hands on a copy to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment

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

novellearts's review

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical trauma, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Sexism

kateclancy's review

challenging inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

I put it down a few times to finish other books because the early pacing was slow - I think the fact that I read it on audio helped propel me forward. Once I was in though I was IN. I found the author's note really helpful to contextualize her decisions around how she engaged with issues of race, colonialism, and the medical turn of birth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Murder, Animal cruelty, Rape, Vomit, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Grief

jenhfultz's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

It starts slowly but the pace picks up! LOTS of characters to keep track of; she should have a cast list in the front.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Rape, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, and Child death

Minor: Colonisation, Miscarriage, Murder, and Sexual harassment

rarasreads's review

informative inspiring mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

This is a historical fiction x mystery inspired by the real Martha Ballard, who was an American midwife & healer in the 1700s. Martha kept a diary of the day to day occurrences in her tight-knit Maine community. This very diary provides key evidence in a rape trial involving the Pastor’s wife. However, when one of the assailants is found frozen in the Kennebec River, Martha takes it upon herself to investigate and uncover the truth.

I felt the author covered multiple different aspects of frontier life centered on a forgotten woman in history in an engaging manner and that too, with some insightful prose.

“I will never understand why men think that women work so hard to destroy them. In my experience it is usually the opposite.” 

At a time where women are viewed as inferior to men and whose experiences are easily dismissed or designated as promiscuous, Martha becomes an outspoken advocate for them. I admired her tenacity to fight sexism and misogyny as well as to seek justice. It was also very satisfying to see the ways in which Martha handled some male characters and their fragile egos on her own. I found one of her methods pleasantly shocking (iykyk)!

Additionally, I appreciated how Lawhon contrasts Martha’s strong-willed personality with her empathetic side as she extends her generosity to many. There is also tremendous depth to the love she has for her family and husband in particular. Romance readers may particularly enjoy the small dose of 🌶️ in here as well!

Overall, there is plenty to glean from Martha’s story and I highly recommend reading author’s note at the end if you pick this one up!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Racism, Rape, Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual assault

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

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

jraley_writes's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Blood

soobooksalot's review

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Frozen River has gone straight to my list of most memorable reads.
 I don't read a ton of historical fiction, but the ones I do inevitably leave an impression.
 Author Ariel Lawhon describes her novel as "biographical fiction" - midwife and healer Martha Ballard and other residents of Halowell, Maine in the late 1700s are based on actual people and events.
 Despite the time difference from then to present, so many of society's harshest issues are unchanged.
 The Frozen River isn't always an easy read, but I absolutely recommend it.
 ⚠️ TW: rape, pregnancy and childbirth, infant and child death, murder, capital punishment.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Death, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, and Child death

staceymadams's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

Beautifully written. My second Lawhon book; I’ll definitely be checking out her backlist. Very strong Outlander vibes, especially once they’ve set up the homestead in America. Fantastic strong female character and voice. Very informative and infuriating subject matter. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexism, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Child death