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A review by kristineisreading
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
5.0
I really enjoyed this. Martha is a mid-50s midwife and healer living in 1789 Maine. She has a husband with whom she is still deeply in love with (and the feeling is mutual – more on this in a minute) and six living children. She is well respected in the community, but is drawn into some shady business – rape and murder, a corrupt and nasty judge, and a new professional rival – that begins to tarnish her reputation and threaten her family. She must simultaneously solve the mystery and ensure justice is had.
Martha gets help along the way from a varied cast of characters, including her children and husband, townspeople, and an out-of-frame Paul Revere. Many of them, including Martha and her family, are based on real people. One thing that always elevates a book for me is well-written characters, and The Frozen River has those in spades. Martha is a fantastic main character – intelligent, efficient, stubborn when necessary, compassionate, vulnerable at times, willing to ask for help and admit when she’s wrong, and generally competent. The town is populated by people with in-depth lives and motives, and their actions serve to move the plot along. The shopkeeper and Doctor are two of the most memorable, and poor Rebecca is obviously deeply scarred. Martha’s six children all have different personalities and it’s easy to keep them straight. And let’s talk about Ephraim. Talk about a dream husband. Patient, well-spoken, hard-working, supportive, loyal, prone to whisper sweet nothings. Their 30-year marriage has built a deep respect and mutual admiration. It’s something to aspire to, but manages to never be sappy or overdone.
I was going to say the characters are the best part of the book for me, but that’s not entirely true. I’m happy to say that all of these strong characters serve to enhance the plot. A lot happens in this book and it’s all woven together beautifully. Everything that happens ties back to the main plot thread, even if it’s not initially obvious how they’re connected. Happily, it all culminates in a satisfying ending. The action also takes place in a variety of settings, including Martha’s home, other townspeople’s homes, the local shop and tavern, and court both in her town and a larger nearby town. This gives you a well-rounded view of life in 1789. And talk about atmospheric – the brutal Maine winter takes center stage as the river freezes and thaws.
On a deeper level, The Frozen River tackles some difficult themes, including the limitations of being a woman in Colonial time (for example, it is unusual to be able to read and write, and the laws are clearly biased against them), the way corrupt men get away with their transgressions, vigilante justice, emotional scars, grief, racism, and deep-set misogyny. None of it is heavy-handed, but it also doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities.
This is really a great example of historical fiction done right. I’ve somewhat strayed away from the genre this year but between this, Lone Women, and American Princess, I’m starting to get back into it. And I’m definitely going to check out Lawhon’s other books.
Martha gets help along the way from a varied cast of characters, including her children and husband, townspeople, and an out-of-frame Paul Revere. Many of them, including Martha and her family, are based on real people. One thing that always elevates a book for me is well-written characters, and The Frozen River has those in spades. Martha is a fantastic main character – intelligent, efficient, stubborn when necessary, compassionate, vulnerable at times, willing to ask for help and admit when she’s wrong, and generally competent. The town is populated by people with in-depth lives and motives, and their actions serve to move the plot along. The shopkeeper and Doctor are two of the most memorable, and poor Rebecca is obviously deeply scarred. Martha’s six children all have different personalities and it’s easy to keep them straight. And let’s talk about Ephraim. Talk about a dream husband. Patient, well-spoken, hard-working, supportive, loyal, prone to whisper sweet nothings. Their 30-year marriage has built a deep respect and mutual admiration. It’s something to aspire to, but manages to never be sappy or overdone.
I was going to say the characters are the best part of the book for me, but that’s not entirely true. I’m happy to say that all of these strong characters serve to enhance the plot. A lot happens in this book and it’s all woven together beautifully. Everything that happens ties back to the main plot thread, even if it’s not initially obvious how they’re connected. Happily, it all culminates in a satisfying ending. The action also takes place in a variety of settings, including Martha’s home, other townspeople’s homes, the local shop and tavern, and court both in her town and a larger nearby town. This gives you a well-rounded view of life in 1789. And talk about atmospheric – the brutal Maine winter takes center stage as the river freezes and thaws.
On a deeper level, The Frozen River tackles some difficult themes, including the limitations of being a woman in Colonial time (for example, it is unusual to be able to read and write, and the laws are clearly biased against them), the way corrupt men get away with their transgressions, vigilante justice, emotional scars, grief, racism, and deep-set misogyny. None of it is heavy-handed, but it also doesn’t shy away from the ugly realities.
This is really a great example of historical fiction done right. I’ve somewhat strayed away from the genre this year but between this, Lone Women, and American Princess, I’m starting to get back into it. And I’m definitely going to check out Lawhon’s other books.