Seven of us gathered on Wednesday, June 18, at the home of Jan Collins to discuss “The Frozen River.” Most of us really enjoyed this novel in which the author builds a murder mystery around a real-life Maine midwife who lived in a small town in the late 1700s. We were interested in the characters—although we thought the model husband was too good to be true—and in the well rendered setting. We talked about the state of both medicine and justice at the time, as well as the role of a midwife. We considered the merits and limitations of first-person narration, and the challenges of pursuing a rape accusation, especially in a society that devalues women. We thought the conclusion was a bit implausible but nonetheless gratifying—a sort of justice.