The Frozen River

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How much did you know about 18th-century Maine before reading The Frozen River? Do you think a person can appreciate the novel without understanding this historical context?
• What were your overall impressions of The Frozen River? Discuss what you liked most and least about the book.
• Ariel Lawhon is known for writing books that center on female protagonists. Compare the protagonist in The Frozen River with a protagonist from another of Lawhon’s works.

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• One of the novel’s themes concerns familial loyalty. How does this concept relate to your personal views or experiences? Is familial loyalty absolute, or do some circumstances warrant betrayal?
• Explore connections between your life and the experiences of the characters. Which character resonated most with you and why?
• Place is an important element in this novel. Reflect on the significance of place in your life.

3. Societal and Cultural Context

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

• Analyze how The Frozen River reflects or comments on current societal views surrounding rape, pregnancy, childbirth, and abortion.
• The novel is set in the mid-to-late 1700s in Maine. Discuss the influence of this period and setting on the narrative.
• Explore how the novel’s themes (Puritan Shame Culture and Gender Oppression, The Courtroom as a Theatrical Spectacle, Familial Loyalty in the Face of Suspicion, and any other themes you identified) resonate with today’s world.

4. Literary Analysis

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

• The Frozen River is structured in six sections, within which chapter titles are based on places. At the end of each section is a flashback, and together these flashbacks represent a secondary plot. Discuss the effectiveness and impact of this structure on the story.
• Most of the novel unfolds from Martha’s first-person perspective. Comment on the effectiveness of this narrative approach and its impact on the story.
• Discuss the development and relatability of Martha, Joseph, Rebecca, and Dr. Page. How does each of these characters relate to the novel’s themes?
• Explore the significance of the Maine setting and the river. How do these elements contribute to the novel’s tone?
• Discuss the novel’s symbols and motifs (the silver fox, lace, the river, and any others you identified). How do they enhance the story’s impact? In what ways, if any, do they inform the book’s themes?

5. Creative Engagement

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

• If you were charged with adapting The Frozen River into a movie, series, or play, which would you choose and why? Who would you cast in the roles of Martha, Joseph, Rebecca, and Dr. Page? How might you approach scripting, scoring, production or set design, costuming, directing, and other aspects of the project?
• Create a playlist that captures the novel’s mood or themes or that contains selections that reflect various characters. Discuss your choices.
• Imagine a prequel of the story. How might Martha’s life have played out in the years preceding the events of The Frozen River?

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