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A review by stephs_cozycorner
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
4.0
This ‘biographical fiction’ by Ariel Lawhon tells the tale of Martha Ballard, a midwife and healer in the 1700’s from Halowell, Maine.
Inspired by Ballard’s life taken from the words right out of her own journals this story is based 75% on fact.
Lawhon writes in her author’s note how this story came to be, and I loved learning that a good majority of the characters in this book are based on actual people and not just Ballard.
So don’t skip reading it!!
I also absolutely adored Martha’s husband Ephraim and their love story, which you get glimpses of throughout as well as in flashback chapters. I loved how much he respected her and treated her as his equal.
This is a time period that I don’t often read about, but one I definitely want to delve more into.
Martha Ballard was an incredible woman and a character I won’t soon forget.
I highly recommend picking up this book!
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴.
Inspired by Ballard’s life taken from the words right out of her own journals this story is based 75% on fact.
Lawhon writes in her author’s note how this story came to be, and I loved learning that a good majority of the characters in this book are based on actual people and not just Ballard.
So don’t skip reading it!!
I also absolutely adored Martha’s husband Ephraim and their love story, which you get glimpses of throughout as well as in flashback chapters. I loved how much he respected her and treated her as his equal.
This is a time period that I don’t often read about, but one I definitely want to delve more into.
Martha Ballard was an incredible woman and a character I won’t soon forget.
I highly recommend picking up this book!
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦, 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘴.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Medical content, and Murder