I thought I’d spend this week revisiting my favorite books of 2024. I read some great ones.
#1 The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
What can I say about The Frozen River. It was clearly my favorite book of the year. How could it not be? It starts off with a mysterious murder. Then there’s a rape trial that may or may not be connected. Lastly, there’s the protagonist, Martha Ballard, a midwife who knows the town’s secrets. She’s based on a real-life midwife who documented the rape in her journal back in 1789. What amazes me is that if this woman hadn’t kept her journal, we would never know anything about her. How many strong, smart women have been erased from history because they didn’t have a voice?
Martha’s stuggles to solve the murder and bring the rapist to justice pits her against the town leadership, endangering her life and her family’s lives. Meanwhile, she’s also in a struggle to preserve her livelihood as the town as just hired a Harvard-educated doctor who claims he’s superior to a midwife.
This is a book about women, relationships, motherhood, and battling the patriarchy in order to have a voice against those in power. I was at turns frustrated, angry, and impressed as Martha confronted the prejudices of the day. It’s also the best plotted book I’ve read since The Measure. Lawhon has thought out everything, and I mean everything. Events occur that are seemingly minor only to return to play a major part.
I couldn’t put this book down. Five stars.
