The Perks Of Being A Book Addict discussion

One of our June Books of the Month is The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon



Please discuss here and remember to use spoiler tags as needed, as everyone reads at different speeds and may start at different times.


A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

Highly overrated and riddled with errors. Main parts of the plot were completely implausible and far fetched. It earned a one star from me.

Looking forward to the!

I read this one a few months ago! I really enjoyed it and it had me thinking the whole time. I like the FMC because she’s strong and has a sense of purpose. She’s a problem solver and smart. I know this one is loosely based on a diary found from that time period. I’m also just really into historical dramas/mysteries so I throughly enjoyed this one.

I have read the book but failed to do a review. I will re-read

I’m waiting for this to be available at my local library. Good to know what’s the book club books for June.

I hope the book will be available soon and you'll like it, Rachel. :)

i just recently read this for one of my book clubs and enjoyed it. looking forward to discussing with everyone!

I got this one from my library and will be reading it in June. I'll have to remember to take some notes because my face-to-face book club is planning to read it in the fall sometime. I hope to start in about a week or so. Looking forward to it!

Mary wrote: "Highly overrated and riddled with errors. Main parts of the plot were completely implausible and far fetched. It earned a one star from me."

That's disappointing, Mary. It's supposed to be based on a real woman and her diaries. I was hoping that it would at least be realistic, even if not really accurate. I'll have to adjust my expectations a bit going in to avoid disappointment. I can suspend my disbelief when I need to.

Starting reading now. The premise looks interesting

Just finished the book and could not put it down! Wow! 10 stars! What a wonderfully written story and beautiful writing. I loved that it was based on the real diaries of Martha Ballard who was a midwife in the 1700's. A mystery as well as interesting historical perspectives on the life and hardships in the late 1700's as well as the lack of opportunities and rights for women during that time.

I finished also and thought it was excellent. Scary how women were treated back then and also how some women bought into it and kept other women down.

This one may bleed into next month for me - have an 800:page book I am trying to finish for another book club.

Finally getting started! 7% of the way in. Seems like this one has mixed reactions - I generally love historic fiction so we will see where I land.

Finished! 3.5 - 4 stars for me. Well researched historical fiction based on real lives and a diary. While it felt a little long, it was quick reading for the length. Enjoyed gaining an understanding of life and customs in that era in a town in Maine that I’ve been to a number of times. The writing seemed a bit “simplistic” to me, but it also worked given the era being depicted. A bit of a twist at the end. I read on my Kindle so perhaps just that format, but the diary entries were in a font that was almost impossible to read which took away from the story for me. Good pick for the month!