Historical Fiction · Free kit
The Frozen River
In the brutal winter of 1789, the Kennebec River freezes solid, entombing a man in the ice. Midwife Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. She identifies Joshua Burgess—one of two men accused of raping a pastor's wife four months earlier. When Martha declares the death a murder, not an accident, she sets herself against powerful men who want the truth buried. Over one long, unforgiving Maine winter, Martha's diary becomes evidence in a rape trial, her family is torn apart by secrets, and she must decide what justice looks like when the law fails women. Based on the real-life diary of an 18th-century midwife who delivered over 1,000 babies without losing a mother, The Frozen River is a gripping historical mystery about a woman who refused to stay silent.
“Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without impartiality.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
The Frozen River Hosting Guide
A free, printable-minded plan for hosting The Frozen River.
Invite hook
“When a man is found dead in Maine's frozen Kennebec River in 1789, midwife Martha Ballard determines it was murder—and that the victim was one of two men accused of raping a pastor's wife. Her investigation will tear her family and community apart.”
The question you’re arguing about: When the legal system fails women, what does justice look like?
Shopping list
- □Hot spiced apple juice with cinnamon and cloves (period-appropriate and warm)
- □Cornbread with honey butter (hearty frontier staple)
- □Maple roasted root vegetables (turnips, carrots, parsnips—Maine harvest)
- □Apple pie or baked apples with cinnamon (classic New England dessert)
- □Hot cocoa or strong coffee (warming drinks for a cold-weather book)
- □Beef or chicken stew in a Dutch oven (rustic, communal, historically accurate)
- □Johnnycakes with maple syrup (traditional cornmeal flatbread)
- □Candles or lanterns (for 18th-century atmosphere)
Day-of timeline
- 0–10 minWelcome & icebreakers about justice, documentation, and moral choices
- 10–20 minTrivia warm-up
- 20–60 minMain discussion (warm-up + debate + deep-dive questions)
- 60–75 minSpeed debate: Was Martha right to keep Jonathan's secret?
- 75–90 minWrap-up: Rate the book, vote on next month, share one truth you've documented
Surprise touch
Bring a blank journal and ask each guest to write one truth they've witnessed or experienced that deserves to be recorded—something that would otherwise be forgotten. Seal the entries and keep them for next meeting, or share them aloud anonymously. It honors Martha's diary-keeping and reminds everyone that documentation is power.
Wrap-up
- □Group photo with candles or lanterns
- □Quick rating round: One word to describe how The Frozen River made you feel.
- □Vote on next month's book and confirm the date