A review by jhbandcats
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

I’m lucky to have read two incredibly good books back to back, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow plus this fabulous historical mystery about a late 18th C midwife in Maine. The titular frozen river itself is so prominent as to be a character in its own right. Animals, both wild and domestic, are integral. 

As historical fiction, this is really top notch, set on the foundation of extensive research. As a mystery, it’s equally fine. To have both in one volume is a multitude of riches. It feels like a book with the depth and intensity of 600+ pages. (It doesn’t feel like a long book - it’s such a page-turner that it feels relatively short.) The main characters are intricately drawn; the lesser characters are essential to crafting the plot. 

I had thought I wouldn’t be especially interested in a midwife’s story but I was hooked from the very beginning. Be warned that there’s the gore of birth itself, plus the explicit violence of rape and murder. This is also a courtroom drama, dramatic partly because the fledgling justice system is unfamiliar to modern readers. 

I can’t recommend this highly enough. I was riveted. 
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