Frozen by Mary Casanova

Frozen, by Mary Casanova, contains everything I love in a novel. It was written by one of my favorite authors and set in one of the most beautiful places in the country, northern Minnesota. It carries all the truth of history, but tells a haunting tale that pulls the reader in from the very first page.

Several summers ago my husband and I joined two other couples and rented a houseboat on Rainy Lake. Everything about our trip was incredible! The weather that week was perfect: hot and still. We watched eagles steal our fish carcasses, heard loons calling late into the night, enjoyed sunsets that didn't seem real, ate fantastic fresh fish dinners, and swam in the clear lake water. While we were there we visited the historic Kettle Falls Hotel.

As I read Frozen I felt as if I were back on Rainy Lake once again. I could visualize it all so clearly, and this added a lot to my enjoyment of the book. Mary has a wonderful writing style. Her descriptions are beautiful and moving, and they are perfect for this type of tale.

I heard Mary Casanova telling the story of Frozen a few years ago at a conference. At the time I was struck by the story and wanted to read it immediately. It wasn't until just this past few weeks that I finally was reunited with the book and had the chance to read it. I'm so glad I did!