Reading The Frozen River for book club will give your discussion group a lot to converse about. This absolutely immersive mystery novel is inspired by a true story of Martha Ballard, a midwife who kept journal entries of her life during the 18th century. The book’s main themes include Puritan shame culture, gender oppression, women’s roles, and violence against women.
Be prepared for a rapt conversation using these The Frozen River book club questions. The discussion guide features a book synopsis, ten book club questions, and some selected reviews. Then as you read on, we have also included suggestions for three books that are similar to The Frozen River that you can add to your TBR list.
(This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small commission.)
The Frozen River Synopsis
(We always chose to provide the publisher synopsis because we feel that it’s worthwhile to discuss whether the official book description actually squared with your experience of the book.)
The Frozen River, Ariel Lawhon
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.
10 Book Club Questions for The Frozen River
These questions have been tailored to this book’s specific reading experience, but if you want more ideas, we also have an article with 101 generic book club questions.
- How is justice defined in the novel? How do the various characters’ understanding of justice differ? How do these differences impact the events of the story?
- “A thought occurs to me-so quickly that I do not have time to reject it: if Joseph North can’t be hanged for rebecca Foster, perhaps he can be hanged for killing Joshua Burgess?”
How does Martha Ballard’s strong sense of justice both help and hinder investigation into Burgess’s murder and Sarah’s rape?
- “The fining of unwed mothers is a cruel system, meant to humiliate women, and therefore dissuade them from carnal activity. But given that women do not conceive children on their own, and there is no law that fines men for their participation, it is the worst kind of hypocrisy as well.”
How do you feel about Martha’s decision to marry Ephriam after being raped? Is it a brave choice for the sake of survival, or does it reinforce the oppressive Puritanical system that punished women for their own trauma?
- Even though Joseph North is not convicted for his crimes, Marth is able to exact violent revenge upon him at the end of the novel. Do you find this to be a satisfying resolution to the book’s central conflict? Why or why not?
- In what ways does the ever-changing Kennebec River mirror the societal shifts and turbulence in Hallowell?
- How do the female characters in the novel use personal relationships and societal expectations to navigate the oppressive Puritan shame culture? Consider the actions of Martha, Sarah, and Clarissa.
- Many characters in the novel engage in forms of vigilante justice outside the corrupted judicial system. Can this ever be justified, or does it undermine the rule of law and cause more chaos?
- Martha refuses to provide Lidia North with medicine because of her involvement in the Foster case. Do you think Martha’s strong moral stance was justified or should she have provided proper care for Lidia’s health regardless?
- Given the objectifying parallels between Tempest the fox and the women of Hallowell, why do you think it’s significant that Tempest is included as an active character in the prologue and epilogue of the story?
- Lace is treated as a symbol of dignity for women and as a target for male aggression. In a society that often suppresses women, does reclaiming lace truly empower them, or does it highlight the limited forms of agency they possess? Is there a parallel in today’s culture?
Selected Reviews of The Frozen River
(Use these selected Goodreads reviews to compare with your own experience of the book. Do you agree or disagree with the reviews?)
“This book has been getting a lot of very positive reviews, so I think my lukewarm feelings toward The Frozen River have more to do with my own preferences than the book itself. This is historical fiction, but it’s centered around some grisly crimes; I don’t love mysteries or thrillers or true crime, and this book overlaps into those genres. It was hard to read about the horrible things that happened to so many women.”
“This is a well-written, entertaining, historical fiction novel which is based on an actual person and events. It is set during Colonial times and has a likable, intelligent, strong and capable female protagonist, a warm and loving marriage, supportive friends and family, vividly described settings, and a satisfying conclusion. I listened to the audio book, and the narrator, Ms. Jane Oppenheimer, has a lovely voice and does an outstanding job depicting the characters and their personalities. The author’s note, in Ms. Ariel Lawhon’s own voice, is interesting and informative, and is truly appreciated.”
“I am so happy to be done with this book. I got it because it got so many positive reviews and comments but it was not what i expected at all. It was super hard to read. I lost track a few times, and had to re-read the section. There are also so many names, that it seemed at one point impossible to remember them. Also, the plot of the story was weak and not intriguing.”
“This is well-written historical fiction based on a real-life midwife, Martha Ballard, in the 1700s in a small town in Maine. There is a murder which is at the heart of the story around which the author interweaves elements about the role of women, violence against women, inequality, and social norms. The novel is atmospheric and the writing very descriptive. Told from Martha’s point of view and through short diary entries, the reader really gets a sense of what life would have been like for women, even brave, strong women like Martha, in a small-minded town in the 1800s where men held all the power and institutions were biased against women…”
Books Similar to The Frozen River
The Frozen River was selected as a book club pick for Good Morning America. If you like their selections, we’ve also got discussion guides for Lessons in Chemistry, Mad Honey, Pineapple Street, Lions of Fifth Avenue, The Personal Librarian and The Vanishing Half.
The Midwife’s Secret, Emily Gunnis
If you want to read similar stories about midwives, then this is your next read. This mystery novel is about two families bound by tragedy, weaving together three main storylines. A story of social injustice, corruption, and past and present crimes mirroring each other.
Love and Fury, Samantha Silva
If you want to read a similar story about strong female leads, then this is your next read. A historical fiction novel about Mary Wollstonecraft, the mother of Mary Shelley. A story about the power of a woman reclaiming her own narrative to pass on to her daughter, and all women generations to come. A story about love, womanhood, and the timeless struggle to define one’s self.
American Jezebel ,Eve LaPlante
If you want to read a similar story focused on women’s rights, then this is your next read. This novel is a biography of Anne Hutchinson’s life from dramatic courtroom battles to her banishment in Rhode Island, after which she founded her own colony. The story focuses on religious freedom, equal rights, and free speech.
Share these The Frozen River book club questions with your friends:
