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A review by coralinejones
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
5.0
Oh, man. There's so much to say. Unfortunately, there's so much I can't figure out a proper way to write a review!
This novel is really stunning. Lawhorn has a way to draw emotion out of you while keeping you engaged in the world she's writing about and the characters she created. Everyone felt so real, and I assume that's due part to the fact that this book is inspired by Martha Ballard, who was an actual midwife in the 1700s. This novel takes inspiration from her actual journal entries, in which she documented hundreds of cases and events that took place over the course of her life.
My only complaint is that I got tired of reading about Martha delivering babies in detail, it felt repetitive towards the end, but everything else? The court drama? The love Martha has for the women in town? The mystery of murder? Her determination to do what's right? Everything was so good. I even tried finishing this book in one sitting last night but ultimately had to rest. I woke up early to get through the last 2-3 hours because I had to see how this concluded and I was not disappointed.
This novel is really stunning. Lawhorn has a way to draw emotion out of you while keeping you engaged in the world she's writing about and the characters she created. Everyone felt so real, and I assume that's due part to the fact that this book is inspired by Martha Ballard, who was an actual midwife in the 1700s. This novel takes inspiration from her actual journal entries, in which she documented hundreds of cases and events that took place over the course of her life.
My only complaint is that I got tired of reading about Martha delivering babies in detail, it felt repetitive towards the end, but everything else? The court drama? The love Martha has for the women in town? The mystery of murder? Her determination to do what's right? Everything was so good. I even tried finishing this book in one sitting last night but ultimately had to rest. I woke up early to get through the last 2-3 hours because I had to see how this concluded and I was not disappointed.