BOOK REVIEW

SUMMARY
After his mother's death, he requested Zeena become his wife, mostly because he understands
how valuable she is as she can care for the household. They are married for about a year, and
then Zeena begins to show severe signs of aging, with her poor health begins to overcome her
body. Her disposition changes, and she becomes hostile, angry, and controlling. Ethan is
unhappy and unfulfilled because he is living a loveless marriage and is unable to achieve his
dreams of relocating to a metropolitan area and working as an engineer.
Zeena's cousin, Mattie, has been living with the Fromes for about a year to help Zeena after
her parents died. Distracted by her daydreams, Mattie does a poor job of completing her
responsibilities. Ethan has developed an infatuation with Mattie and commonly finishes her
chores.
One particularly cold winter night, he goes to meet Mattie and walk her home from a church
dance. He stands outside, admiring her as she dances in a red scarf. He quietly watches as
another man, Denis Eady, offers to give Mattie a ride. She declines the offer and walks home
with Ethan.
The next morning Zeena informs them that she is traveling to a nearby town, Bettsbridge, to
stay with relatives and get treatment for her condition. She asks Ethan to take her to the train
station but he lies, saying he must meet with Andrew Hale about a business
In the evening, Ethan returns home to a delicious meal Mattie has prepared for the two of
them in Zeena's absence. She has even used one of Zeena's favorite red glass dishes to serve
the meal. The two spend the rest of the night conversing and enjoying each other's company.
Although Ethan contemplates acting upon his passion, the two retire for the night without
incident.
Ethan is ready to share his feelings with Mattie, but Jotham's presence and his own fears keep
him from doing so. Zeena is also back, angry, and hostile, and informs Ethan that she plans to
replace Mattie with a more effective girl to help around the house. Ethan is upset with the
news but can do nothing about it.
Ethan impulsively and passionately kisses Mattie downstairs, then shares with her Zeena's
plan to send her away. The following morning, Zeena shares her plans for Mattie's departure,
which sends Ethan to town in an attempt to secure money and fund his hopeful elopement
with Mattie.
Ethan decides to take Mattie to the train station despite Zeena's opposition. Ethan takes a
different route, hoping to enjoy some last moments together. The pair sled down a hill they
had once talked about. Mattie then suggests they take the same hill again, but this time
purposefully crash into a tree—effectively ending their lives, but doing so together. Hesitant
at first, Ethan does as she wishes, and the two embrace tightly as they smash into the tree.
After being knocked unconscious, Ethan awakes to Mattie's soft moans of pain and her
quietly mumbling his name. The narrative then returns to real-time, twenty years after Ethan
Frome's sledding accident. Ethan Frome current is now in decrepit conditions. He sees two
old, sad, and frail women. They are Zeena and Mattie. Mattie, who was once lively and
youthful, is now paralyzed and a near duplicate of Zeena.
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