Historical Fiction

The Frozen River

The Frozen River

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  • Create Date：2023-12-06 17:21:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
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  • Author：Ariel Lawhon
  • ISBN：0385546874
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Summary

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard， a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history。

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。

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Reviews

Lisa B。 ，

Excellent！ RTP

Jamie ，

Damn， this woman can write a good story！ And particularly， Ariel Lawhon writes good stories about strong women。 What more could you want？！I was fascinated by Martha’s life and by the crimes she witnessed and endured。 The births and deaths。 Life in the 1700s！My favorite part though， was the author’s note。 Is that weird？！ It just brought the whole thing together for me。 Ariel has aced it again！ Can’t wait for the next…

Melissa Nowicki ，

What an incredible story！ I’m so grateful for the GMA book club for gifting my little free library two copies to share with my patrons！ I enjoyed this 1700’s historical fiction novel so much。 I couldn’t put it down。 The characters were strong and interesting。 The storyline was perfectly woven and easy to follow。 I usually gravitate towards WWII novels so I really enjoyed a change of scenery with the simple but challenging ways of living that people had back in the 1700’s。 I loved the mention of What an incredible story！ I’m so grateful for the GMA book club for gifting my little free library two copies to share with my patrons！ I enjoyed this 1700’s historical fiction novel so much。 I couldn’t put it down。 The characters were strong and interesting。 The storyline was perfectly woven and easy to follow。 I usually gravitate towards WWII novels so I really enjoyed a change of scenery with the simple but challenging ways of living that people had back in the 1700’s。 I loved the mention of Paul Revere， who was referred to as a friend of Martha’s husband。 He is such an iconic figure in history that I loved how he was given credit for his major role in American History， even if it was just a minor mention。 It was a nice touch！ This story absolutely made my week and I would highly recommend it。 。。。more

Shannon ，

This December GMA Book club pick is an excellent， immersive historical fiction novel based on the life of 18th century midwife， Martha Ballard。 I love that the author took Martha's journals spanning decades and accounting for hundreds of births and pieced together a moving， highly compelling story of early midwifery and fortitude during America's early years。 Part mystery， part true crime story， part family drama， this was a tad long but so worth the read！ Great on audio too with a note read by This December GMA Book club pick is an excellent， immersive historical fiction novel based on the life of 18th century midwife， Martha Ballard。 I love that the author took Martha's journals spanning decades and accounting for hundreds of births and pieced together a moving， highly compelling story of early midwifery and fortitude during America's early years。 Part mystery， part true crime story， part family drama， this was a tad long but so worth the read！ Great on audio too with a note read by the author included at the end and perfect for fans of books like Chris Bohjalian。 Many thanks to @libro。fm for the complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more

Jamie Park ，

Martha is the closest thing to a medical professional they have in her area。 She is brilliant and people call on her for everything。 She ends up involved in a murder mystery。 This is all based on fact！ This is a wonderfully researched novel。 You can tell the author worked tirelessly to make this happen。

Kelsi ，

I’ve read extensively from Ariel Lawhon， and this is by far her best work and I’ve enjoyed her prior works！ This book follows Martha， a midwife in the late 1700s。 She is often the only medical professional available in her community， so in her position she is privy to much that goes on。 When a man is found brutally murdered， it plunges her into the midst of both a murder and rape trial。 Martha is a very real person with extensive journals that Lawhon was able to draw from and use in this work。 T I’ve read extensively from Ariel Lawhon， and this is by far her best work and I’ve enjoyed her prior works！ This book follows Martha， a midwife in the late 1700s。 She is often the only medical professional available in her community， so in her position she is privy to much that goes on。 When a man is found brutally murdered， it plunges her into the midst of both a murder and rape trial。 Martha is a very real person with extensive journals that Lawhon was able to draw from and use in this work。 The book is compulsively readable， while also being historical fiction based on reality。 Martha is an incredible heroine and Lawhon does a wonderful job of educating the reader on this remarkable life。 This book is hard to set down， and had me in tears at points。 The compassion shown to incredibly difficult moments is well done， and I’m always so grateful to authors who can transport us across time and shine a light on someone we should all know。 Lawhon does a fantastic job with this book。 。。。more

Elizabeth Bosse ，

This book incredible！ Stories with strong women are my favorite and Ariel always hits the mark with that。 I was engrossed in the mystery of this book from the very beginning。 The characters in this book， each one， draw you into the story even further。 Martha and Ephraim。 I loved getting glimpses into their past and hearing more about their love story。 The setting is this book is also another character。 You can feel the cold in your bones。 I highly recommend this book！

Vernon Area Library ，

Delving into one winter of a Colonial era midwife in Maine， this novel is deeply researched and has a well developed sense of place and time。 Through the events of less than a year， readers follow Martha Ballard in the town of Hallowell as she attends births and other medical emergencies， and raises her family。 When the pastor’s wife accuses a prominent man of rape， it divides the town。 Then his accomplice’s lifeless body is found encased in the frozen river， it adds to further confusion and int Delving into one winter of a Colonial era midwife in Maine， this novel is deeply researched and has a well developed sense of place and time。 Through the events of less than a year， readers follow Martha Ballard in the town of Hallowell as she attends births and other medical emergencies， and raises her family。 When the pastor’s wife accuses a prominent man of rape， it divides the town。 Then his accomplice’s lifeless body is found encased in the frozen river， it adds to further confusion and intrigue。Mary Readers and Information Services Librarian 。。。more

Rebecca ，

Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy for honest review。This is my favorite book of Ariel Lawhon's that I've read to date。 It's incredibly atmospheric and a perfect wintertime read， set during a long， cold winter of its own。 It's inspired by a remarkable， real life midwife， Martha Ballard， whose record and dedication would still be impressive today。 Readers should know that the story in large part revolves around s**ual assault resulting in pregnancy， and there are many mentions of stillbi Thanks to the publisher for an advance copy for honest review。This is my favorite book of Ariel Lawhon's that I've read to date。 It's incredibly atmospheric and a perfect wintertime read， set during a long， cold winter of its own。 It's inspired by a remarkable， real life midwife， Martha Ballard， whose record and dedication would still be impressive today。 Readers should know that the story in large part revolves around s**ual assault resulting in pregnancy， and there are many mentions of stillbirth and other pregnancy and birch complications， but these are all handled with sensitivity。 It's an immersive story and a window into a time period and place I haven't read extensively。 。。。more

Linda （Lily） Raiti ，

* Brilliant！ review to come *

Dogsandbooksanddogsandbooks ，

This is the Historical Fiction I've been waiting for to reignite my passion for the genre。 Told during the later 1780's， The Frozen River is inspired by the life of midwife Martha Ballard。 The author is quite deliberate at informing the reader of when and why she took liberties with timelines and possible actions which I appreciated but none of those issues detracted me from the plot。 Who is Martha Ballard？ A midwife that had the learning and audacity to actually write down in a journal or ledge This is the Historical Fiction I've been waiting for to reignite my passion for the genre。 Told during the later 1780's， The Frozen River is inspired by the life of midwife Martha Ballard。 The author is quite deliberate at informing the reader of when and why she took liberties with timelines and possible actions which I appreciated but none of those issues detracted me from the plot。 Who is Martha Ballard？ A midwife that had the learning and audacity to actually write down in a journal or ledger the births that she attended。 This record is what puts her on the map of important women many decades into the future。 She also is the great-aunt to founder of The Red Cross， Clara Barton。 The plot though is so much more than babies。 There is a murder and mystery afoot and with her family threatened， Martha makes it her business to determine what actually happened。 Sexual assault is a heavy theme throughout。 The dynamic between Martha and her husband， Ephraim， bring a welcome gentleness to a harsh landscape and way of life。 I heartily recommend The Frozen River for not only Historical Fiction lovers， but those that enjoy a strong main character and a mystery。Thank you to DoubleDay books for providing an early e-copy via NetGalley。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Anne Altman ，

4。5 stars。 This was excellent。 I went into this book completely blind so I was more than halfway into the story before I realized that this was mainly based on true events and the main character， Martha， was a real midwife who kept journals。 It was fascinating。 The subject of midwifery in the 1700’s is not something I knew anything about so I learned a ton， and it was deeply interesting。 The mystery， also， was quite well done and kept me going because I really wanted to find out what happened。 I 4。5 stars。 This was excellent。 I went into this book completely blind so I was more than halfway into the story before I realized that this was mainly based on true events and the main character， Martha， was a real midwife who kept journals。 It was fascinating。 The subject of midwifery in the 1700’s is not something I knew anything about so I learned a ton， and it was deeply interesting。 The mystery， also， was quite well done and kept me going because I really wanted to find out what happened。 I do have a few little minor quibbles here and there， like I thought it was a bit too long， and there were so many characters， I would sometimes get them confused， but that is all minor criticism— overall I loved it。 I would caution to go into the story knowing that there may but small bits and pieces of information that aren’t relevant to the story but are put in by the author because the author wanted to do Martha justice in her depiction。 However， if it was a purely fictional novel， these bits and pieces probably wouldn’t have been included （like the constant weather updates in the journal） because they don’t propel the story or the characters further。 Regardless， I highly recommend it and am so grateful Libro。fm sent me the audiobook。 The audio was expertly executed！ （Check for TW’s。） 。。。more

Reeca Elliott ，

A man has been found frozen in ice。 Martha Ballard， the local midwife， has been called in to examine the body and determine the cause of death。 She comes to one conclusion， but the physician of the town comes to another。 Martha knows the truth and she does not stop， even when it could damage her reputation and her well built life as she knows it。I loved everything about this book。 Martha is a character that is tough as nails and smart as a whip！ And this time period…oh my word。 What women went t A man has been found frozen in ice。 Martha Ballard， the local midwife， has been called in to examine the body and determine the cause of death。 She comes to one conclusion， but the physician of the town comes to another。 Martha knows the truth and she does not stop， even when it could damage her reputation and her well built life as she knows it。I loved everything about this book。 Martha is a character that is tough as nails and smart as a whip！ And this time period…oh my word。 What women went through to just be heard， not even believed， just heard！The research that went into the tale is amazing。 I loved learning about the court system in that time period。 I had no idea about some if the processes and the way things worked back then。I have said this before and I will say this again…I LOVE A BOOK WHICH HAS ME RESEARCHING。 I could not wait to look up Martha Ballard and to learn more about her life！Need a book which is intense and will keep you up long into the night…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more

Vanessa ，

Such a well written and captivating story。

TBS ，

Martha Ballard was a midwife， an unsung hero， who lived in a small town in Maine during the late 1700s， when America was a very new country。 Thankfully she kept a meticulous diary from around age 50; during her life she delivered close to 1，000 babies without a single death。 The slim facts of her remarkable life， mostly gleaned from her journals， form the scaffolding of Ariel Lawhon’s fictional recreation of this woman and her community， with a tantalizing murder mystery folded into it， which La Martha Ballard was a midwife， an unsung hero， who lived in a small town in Maine during the late 1700s， when America was a very new country。 Thankfully she kept a meticulous diary from around age 50; during her life she delivered close to 1，000 babies without a single death。 The slim facts of her remarkable life， mostly gleaned from her journals， form the scaffolding of Ariel Lawhon’s fictional recreation of this woman and her community， with a tantalizing murder mystery folded into it， which Lawson uses to excavate the environmental， cultural， social， and legal swings and shocks of this new age。 Martha has just delivered a baby when she is called to examine a man whose body has been retrieved from the frozen Kennebec River。 Martha determines that it is not a simple case of a man drowning in the river， he has been beaten and killed beforehand， most probably by hanging。 Woven into the dead man’s story is a rape accusation by the former pastor’s wife who claimed she was brutally assaulted by the deceased， and to confound matters， also by the judge who would normally try these cases。 In part due to her gender， Martha gets hamstrung by the legal system and begins to do her own detective work which leads to a great web of confusion and corruption with the possible involvement of some of her family members。 But Martha is a vocal forceful woman， whose advocating of female outcasts has at times made her unpopular with the closed social circle of her town， and also with the new stuffy and rather unexperienced doctor， who sees her as ill-prepared and too ignorant to tend to women in childbirth。 Their territorial skirmishes are some of the most lively in the book。 Martha stands her ground; she is lovingly supported by her sensitive， sensual poetry-loving almost too perfect husband Ephraim who almost seems transplanted from the 21st century stalwart of women’s fiction。 Threaded through the narrative are appearances by a semi-magical silver fox that seems to have wandered in from another story in another genre。 And the Native Americans of this area， the get short shrift， though they are used in several plot points。 Still this book raises some piercing questions about how early American society and its fledging legal system dealt with land rights， murder， rape， premarital sex， and unmarried mothers。 Also impressive are Lawhon’s painstaking efforts at recreating the enormous amount of work required for day to day living for Martha and her family， from making meals， to tending to livestock to spinning thread to making candles from reeking deer tallow。 The social strata that knits the town together are also carefully explored; the secondary characters add depth and complexity to the story， I would have liked to hear more from them and perhaps a bit less from Martha’s interior musings。 Ultimately though I am grateful to Lawhon for bringing Martha Ballad’s story， even in fictionalized form， to a wider audience。 Recommended for those who like a strong historical fiction brew， with a perspective that often gets overlooked: the demanding lives of rural women and men piercing together a challenging society in the aftermath of the Revolutionary War。 Recommended for those who like historical fiction with a perspective that often gets overshadowed-the， aftermath of the revolutionary war。 。。。more

Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves ，

‘The frozen river alters every facet of life for those who live along it， yet the judges take the inconvenience as a personal slight。’I first came across Ariel with her book， Flight of Dreams （about the Hindenburg disaster） in 2016 - it was brilliant。 Then in 2020 I read， Code Name Hélène （about Nancy Wake） - once again， brilliant。 It is therefore needless to say， I was filled with anticipation about her latest even though I knew nothing of a midwife from 1789 in post revolution America。 I do no ‘The frozen river alters every facet of life for those who live along it， yet the judges take the inconvenience as a personal slight。’I first came across Ariel with her book， Flight of Dreams （about the Hindenburg disaster） in 2016 - it was brilliant。 Then in 2020 I read， Code Name Hélène （about Nancy Wake） - once again， brilliant。 It is therefore needless to say， I was filled with anticipation about her latest even though I knew nothing of a midwife from 1789 in post revolution America。 I do now - and boy！ I will not soon forget it。 ‘I cry。 Mostly for Rebecca and the tiny， unwanted beating heart deep within her womb。 But also for myself。 And our daughters。 And for every other woman who lives， suffers， and dies by the mercurial whims of men。’The Frozen River is， in a nutshell， outstanding historical fiction。 It is based on fact stemming from the diary of one midwife born in 1735， one Martha Ballard。 Martha wrote a daily diary - short facts recording births， deaths， the weather etc。 Let us be clear， Ariel states herself that this is her version of “what could have happened in this woman’s life。 It is not a biography， nor do I claim to be an historian。 I’m simply a storyteller， and I have felt， for fifteen years， that Martha’s story is worth telling。” Let me tell you … it is！“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。”Regaled here is one long， brutal winter in 1789 that marked a decidedly momentous time for the community of Hallowell。 Yes， this is a tale of the everyday life of living in a small post-Revolution community with a definite focus on the plight of women。 However， so so cleverly tied into this is a murder mystery of the highest calibre that will have you guessing to the very end。 “I simply ask that Mr。 Sewall record in the official court documents that there are contradicting views as to the cause of Mr。 Burgess’s death。 One that states accidental drowning。” I pause for effect。 “And one that states murder。”The detail and specifics that Ariel delivers to her readers is nothing short of spectacular。 Be sure to take time to truly sink into Ariel’s， ‘Author Notes’ at the conclusion。 Martha is such an extraordinary character and I have so much respect for her courage and the women she sought to care for and represent。 I also reveled in the very special relationship she has with her husband， Ephraim。 ‘We are in the twilight years of a long love affair， and it has recently occurred to me that a day will come when one of us buries the other。 But， I remind myself， that is the happy ending to a story like ours。 It is a vow made and kept。 Till death do us part。 It is the only acceptable outcome to a long and happy marriage， and I am determined not to fear that day， whenever it arrives。 I am equally determined to soak up all the days between。’The Frozen River is a definite stand out book for me in 2023 and I highly recommend it to all as it ticks so many boxes。 It is complex yet clear in regaling readers about a very special woman from history。 If a tale rich in research of a time， place， people and intrigue。 Sound inviting？ Do yourself a favour and read it。 ‘I cannot say why it is so important that I make this daily record。 Perhaps because I have been doing so for years on end？ Or maybe - if I am being honest - it is because these markings of ink and paper will one day be the only proof that I have existed in this world。 That I lived and breathed。 That I loved a man and the many children he gave me。 It is not that I want to be remembered， per se。 I have done nothing remarkable。 Not by the standards of history， at least。 But I am here。’This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 The quoted material may have changed in the final release。 。。。more

Davida Chazan ，

I knew it。。。 I knew Lawhon's newest novel would get a full 5/5 stars from me。 You'll understand why if you read my #bookreview on my blog here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2023/12/0。。。 I knew it。。。 I knew Lawhon's newest novel would get a full 5/5 stars from me。 You'll understand why if you read my #bookreview on my blog here。 https://tcl-bookreviews。com/2023/12/0。。。 。。。more

Charlsa ，

The Frozen RiverAuthor: Ariel LawhonPub Date: Dec。 5， 2023Publisher: Doubleday BooksMartha Ballard was a midwife and healer in the late 18th Century who lived in a small town near the Kennebec River in Maine。 She recorded the details of her work and life in journals for several decades。 Based upon those journals， Ariel Lawson was inspired to write the Frozen River。 I’ve thought for days how to describe this book and cannot find a superlative that describes how good this book is。 All I can say is The Frozen RiverAuthor: Ariel LawhonPub Date: Dec。 5， 2023Publisher: Doubleday BooksMartha Ballard was a midwife and healer in the late 18th Century who lived in a small town near the Kennebec River in Maine。 She recorded the details of her work and life in journals for several decades。 Based upon those journals， Ariel Lawson was inspired to write the Frozen River。 I’ve thought for days how to describe this book and cannot find a superlative that describes how good this book is。 All I can say is that The Frozen River， like its author， is in a class by itself。The Frozen River follows Martha and events in her community through a six-month period during the winter and spring of 1789-1790。 If you like books with strong women， you will love Martha’s story。 Martha lived in a time when women still had few legal rights。 Women who age birth outside of marriage were shunned。 Rape victims had almost no hope of justice。 Women couldn’t even appear in a court of law without a husband or father present。 Yet Martha courageously fought for and defended these women。 She always pursued truth and justice for both women and men。 She delivered babies， tended the sick and injured， testified in courts about rapes， murders， and other crimes all while caring for her own family。 She stood her ground in an exceedingly male dominated world。 She was respected then and should be an inspiration to all women today。This story is immersive and throughout you see the love Martha had for her patients， her family， and her community。 The author draws the reader into the intimate stories of Martha and her patients。 She fills your heart with compassion for these women and with love for this midwife。 I especially loved her relationship with her husband， Ephraim， and their love and support for each other。 The Frozen River is full of the love， hope， and wisdom that Martha Ballard clearly had for small town on a frozen river in Maine。I received an ARC of this book from Net Galley。 Thank you to DOUBLEDAY Books and Ariel Lawson for the opportunity to read this novel。Note to readers: The author is known for her extensive research and exactness in portraying her characters。 1） Always read her Author’s Note as she explains in details her resources and any deviances from fact。 2）。 Never read her Author’s Note until you have read the ENTIRE NOVEL as there will be spoilers in her notes。 You’re welcome。#thefrozenriver #ariellawhon #doubleday #doubledaybooks #netgalley #midwife #midwives #historicalfiction #rape #misogeny #Maine #bookstagram 。。。more

Maggie Hentz ，

Hard to write a review， because this book left me speechless。 Loved every word。

booksta_lana ，

It was hard for me to separate the author from the book， but for the purpose of this review， I do。 The book was great， I loved that it covered topics we do not see too often represented in the genre。 This would be a perfect read for the winter season， but please check the content warnings because the book is graphic and descriptive。 I was very impressed with the mystery of it and all the legal settings and details given。 I only dropped the rating a little because some of it was repetitive to the It was hard for me to separate the author from the book， but for the purpose of this review， I do。 The book was great， I loved that it covered topics we do not see too often represented in the genre。 This would be a perfect read for the winter season， but please check the content warnings because the book is graphic and descriptive。 I was very impressed with the mystery of it and all the legal settings and details given。 I only dropped the rating a little because some of it was repetitive to the point of getting annoying and the middle lost me a little and was dry。 I believe this could have used tighter editing as a final polish， but overall highly recommend and I will remember it for years to come。 。。。more

Caitlin （CMAReads） ，

Thanks to Doubleday for the eARC。I always know I am going to get a well thought out， in-depth story when it comes to Lawhon， and this was no exception。 While I did find it started a bit slow， I was fully invested in this story by the end。 I had no idea who Martha Ballard was before reading this， and what a fascinating a life she lived。 Lawhon brought to life such a tumultuous year and captured the complexities of facing these issues in the late 1700s in such a vivid way。 I liked how the frozen r Thanks to Doubleday for the eARC。I always know I am going to get a well thought out， in-depth story when it comes to Lawhon， and this was no exception。 While I did find it started a bit slow， I was fully invested in this story by the end。 I had no idea who Martha Ballard was before reading this， and what a fascinating a life she lived。 Lawhon brought to life such a tumultuous year and captured the complexities of facing these issues in the late 1700s in such a vivid way。 I liked how the frozen river was its own character and how it influenced so much of this story。 There's an intriguing mystery and lots of complicated conflict。 It was easy to root for and hate certain characters。 Why I keep coming back to Lawhon is because I know I'll get such a deep historical fiction story about an amazing woman who I wouldn't know about otherwise。 This was so good， and I can't wait to potentially revisit it someday。 。。。more

Lin Salisbury ，

Ariel Lawhon writes about strong women in the historical record。 She is easily one of the most compelling authors of historical fiction writing today。 In CODE NAME HELENE， she wrote about a socialite who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and became one of the most decorated women of WWII。 In I WAS ANASTASIA， she told the story of Anna Anderson's 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov。 The list goes on。 Her newest historical fiction novel， THE FROZEN RIVER features another strong wo Ariel Lawhon writes about strong women in the historical record。 She is easily one of the most compelling authors of historical fiction writing today。 In CODE NAME HELENE， she wrote about a socialite who killed a Nazi with her bare hands and became one of the most decorated women of WWII。 In I WAS ANASTASIA， she told the story of Anna Anderson's 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov。 The list goes on。 Her newest historical fiction novel， THE FROZEN RIVER features another strong woman – Martha Ballard – a midwife living in 1789 Maine。 You might think this would be a quiet story about motherhood and midwifery – but you would be wrong。Martha Ballard was a force to be reckoned with。 When Lawhon came across a brief account of Ballard’s life in a devotional， she was determined to tell her story。 Fortunately， Ballard was a meticulous keeper of a journal and Lawhon had access to it， as well as Ballard’s biography。 Passages from that journal are sprinkled throughout THE FROZEN RIVER。 The novel opens with a mystery。 A local man has been found frozen at the bottom of the Kennebec River， but the cause of death isn’t drowning， or even hypothermia， it’s hanging。 As the local midwife and healer， Martha is called upon to determine the cause of death。 Her diary from that date documents the baby she delivered earlier in the day， as well as the discovery of the corpse in the river and probable cause of death。 Months earlier， she documented the details of an alleged rape。 Now， one of the men accused of rape is dead and Martha is called to testify at the trial of the other， a local judge。Lawhon vividly brings to life the months leading up to the trial -- the rising tension of the townspeople and their divided loyalties， the injustice endured by the women of the period who had little or no agency， and the brave and compassionate woman whose life calling is to give voice to the voiceless – women， babies， and those unable to speak for themselves。 THE FROZEN RIVER is a paean to the unsung heroines， like Martha Ballard， who stood in the gap for the marginalized。Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction。 I am now obsessed with getting my hands on all of Ariel Lawhon’s books and reading every one of them。 Her writing is evocative of the era and I was sucked right in， and the story was so compelling I found myself staying up late at night to finish。 And the ending – oh my god， the ending – it is so terrifying and tender and satisfying （ I know hard to believe all those things can describe one ending – but they do！）This is Lin Salisbury with Superior Reviews。 Listen to my author interview with Ariel Lawhon on Superior Reads on December 28 at 7pm and the 30th at 6am on WTIP 90。7 Grand Marais or on the web at www。wtip。org。 。。。more

Karen D ，

This was so good， I loved absolutely every second of it！ Set in the late 18th century and told from the perspective of a midwife， it's part mystery， part legal suspense， and a lot of discussion on how women were treated。 *Quick synopsis: Martha Ballard is a midwife， and called to examine a body found in the river。 She suspect he's been murdered， and there are many potential suspects since he was one of two men accused of raping a women a couple months earlier。 Martha wants to find out the truth This was so good， I loved absolutely every second of it！ Set in the late 18th century and told from the perspective of a midwife， it's part mystery， part legal suspense， and a lot of discussion on how women were treated。 *Quick synopsis: Martha Ballard is a midwife， and called to examine a body found in the river。 She suspect he's been murdered， and there are many potential suspects since he was one of two men accused of raping a women a couple months earlier。 Martha wants to find out the truth and bring the other rapist to justice。 *This is objectively on the longer side and sometimes the plot was on the slower side。 But I absolutely could not put it down， I was so completely engrossed in the story， and even outside the murder & trials， there was so much tension just related to how Martha and other women were treated。 *I have just so many good things to say about this book - the writing is amazing， the story is engaging， the ending was perfect， and I loved learning about the true Martha Ballard from the author's note。 I cannot recommend this enough， this is one of my top 5 books of the year！  。。。more

Rhonda Lomazow ，

Ariel Lawhon has written another fascinating book of historical fiction。 Martha Ballard a midwife a strong woman kept me intrigued her character her story makes this a brilliant read for me。I will be recommending literary fiction at its best。 #netgalley#doubledaybooks

Rachel ，

4。5 stars rounded upThe Frozen River is historical fiction， as the author states， inspired by true events。 Lawhorn has woven a rich tapestry that unveils life in a small town in post-revolutionary America。 It is so real， you feel as if transported back in time。 The life of Martha Ballard， a midwife who birthed over 1000 babies without a single death of a mother， provides a fascinating character for this story。 The reader weaves through the highs and lows of life in this historical period， gainin 4。5 stars rounded upThe Frozen River is historical fiction， as the author states， inspired by true events。 Lawhorn has woven a rich tapestry that unveils life in a small town in post-revolutionary America。 It is so real， you feel as if transported back in time。 The life of Martha Ballard， a midwife who birthed over 1000 babies without a single death of a mother， provides a fascinating character for this story。 The reader weaves through the highs and lows of life in this historical period， gaining insight to the injustices and prejudices faced by females。 At times direct in the delivery the darker realities of this period， it is nonetheless an enjoyable read。 。。。more

Darla ，

I am a midwife。I am a healer。I do not take life。I shepherd life into this world。 ~ Martha BallardMeet Martha Ballard。 She was a midwife in Hallowell， Maine for decades。 Her diary preserved the work she did and this book is inspired by her life。 One very cold winter the Kennebec river was frozen from November of 1789 and almost through all of April of 1790。 Ariel Lawhon has given us a story that fills just that time period with some flashbacks that connect to current events。 This is my favorite t I am a midwife。I am a healer。I do not take life。I shepherd life into this world。 ~ Martha BallardMeet Martha Ballard。 She was a midwife in Hallowell， Maine for decades。 Her diary preserved the work she did and this book is inspired by her life。 One very cold winter the Kennebec river was frozen from November of 1789 and almost through all of April of 1790。 Ariel Lawhon has given us a story that fills just that time period with some flashbacks that connect to current events。 This is my favorite title so far from Ariel Lawhon and one of my favorites from the entire year。 It is a rich， life-affirming story that acknowledges the challenges of that time and shows the possibilities of overcoming。 I will not soon forget Martha， her endearing husband Ephraim， and their six living children。 This is an amazing book about an amazing woman。 One I want to add to my home library。 It is going on my Christmas list。A big thank you to Doubleday and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review。 The publication date is December 5， 2023。 。。。more

Brooke ，

This was such a good read！！ There’s a few triggers so beware。 But i honestly just loved it。 I was wrapped up in the time period。 The characters。 The lives。 The drama and the mystery。 Such a strong female lead and she carried this book impeccably。 And damn toward the end… there’s an event that i just 👏👏👏👏 deserved that！！ I loved it from start to finish。

Bethany Mock （bethanyburiedinbooks） ，

4。5/5

Vicki Ernest ，

Wonderful book。 I enjoyed every minute of if。 Written from the perspective of Martha Ballard a midwife in the 1700s。 I totally recommend。

Catie ，

Mentioned on The Creative Edge Substack - December 1， 2023

Tag

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Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Frozen River

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Frozen River&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Frozen River&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0