Laurentian Book Club

Participation is free! 

The Laurentian Book Club connects through a private forum where all participants can discuss the current book and network with each other.  Joining is completely free, you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy. Don't forget to checkout your local library for a copy of each book! The Book Club will read one book every two months so that you'll have plenty of time for each book.

To login, or sign-up and create an online profile, please visit: https://www.pbc.guru/stlawu/ 

Current Book:

January 1 - March 1, 2026
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Book Synopsis: 
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.

Inspired by the life of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into history.

(Synopsis Source: goodreads.com)

Next Book:

March - May, 2026
How to Read a Book by Monica Wood

Questions?

Please contact our book club moderators, Stacie, stacie@pbc.guru, and Maddison, maddison@pbc.guruthey will be happy to help!