2. Throughout the novel, Martha is frequently called to deliver babies from women of all walks of life. Which laboring mother did you feel most connected to?

3. “Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists. But paper and ink receive the truth without emotion, and they read it back without partiality.” (p. 39)  Martha’s diary is a key piece of evidence in Rebecca’s trial. Have you ever kept a diary? Would you start one?

4. Much of the novel’s action focuses on the legal process surrounding Rebecca Forster’s assault and Martha’s testimony. Were you surprised at the way the 18th century judicial process unfolded? How would it be different in today’s courtroom?

5. The Ballards are an incredibly closeknit family—did you have a favorite character among Martha and Ephraim’s brood?

6. Martha and her daughters spend much of the novel immersed in everyday household labor such as making candles, baking bread, weaving, and killing chickens. Were there any 1780s tasks you’d be interested to try for yourself? Which task would have been difficult for you?

7. Martha says the townspeople dislike her. Ephraim disagrees: “They respect you. Perhaps occasionally fear you. It’s not the same thing.” (p. 56) When is it better to be honest than it is to be well liked?

8. Martha’s final confrontation with North has lasting consequences for both of them. Do you think justice was done? What about in regard to Rebecca’s assault and Burgess’s killing? Would you have made the same choice as Martha?

9. Did you read the author’s note? If so, did it change your evaluation of Martha’s life and the story of the “year of the long winter?”