The Frozen River

This book lives up to its hype.

The Frozen River is a perfect blend of historical fiction and mystery, and I loved that author Ariel Lawhon took her inspiration for the book from real-life of 18th century midwife, Martha Ballard. 

Martha is a beloved small-town midwife and in 1789 the body of local man, who has been accused of rape months earlier, is found frozen in the local river. In her professional role, Martha is asked to examine the body and determine how he died. She concludes it was murder, but not everyone in town, including the new doctor, concurs. With the murder and rape allegation, Martha is concerned justice will not be served and is determined to find out what really happened.

I immediately became fully immersed in this story. Told through Martha's POV and the inclusion of excerpts from her diary, readers are given insight into the day-to-day goings on in the small Maine town, what it was like for a midwife at the time and how the scandal of murder and rape hit this rural community.

The mystery was great, but it was Martha that shone for me. I absolutely loved her. She's a middle-aged woman who knows her worth and is not afraid to stand up for the women and babies in her care, who she treats with compassion and respect. I loved her strength and tenacity as she battled the rampant misogyny and staunch limitations put upon women of the time. This included how differently men and women were treated by the law, for example, morality charges like fornication and having children out of wedlock (it may take two to tango, but not in the eyes of the law or small-town gossip).

This was an unputdownable read for me. Emotional and riveting, The Frozen River had a strong cast (Martha and her husband's bond was *chef's kiss*), great dialogue (with wit) and a solid mystery. I highly recommend this book which pulled me in within its first few pages and didn't let go until it's satisfying ending. 

Note: I highly recommend reading the author's notes at the end of this book to better understand the author's inspiration and get a look into the life of Martha Ballard.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Genre: Historical Mystery

Type and Source: Hardcover from public library

Publisher: DoubleDay

First Published: December 5, 2023

Book Description from GoodReads: 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.