The Frozen River

Author: Ariel Lawhon
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2023
Pages: 448
Rating: Highly Recommend

Synopsis: Maine, 1879: 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 loyalties lie.

Review: I wasn't sure that I wanted to read a book this thick with such heavy the
mes this close to the holidays. I decided to give it a two-chapter chance, and oh my. I couldn't put this down. This author can weave a story. I haven't read her others, but I'm going to change that in 2024. 

I loved Martha. This character, based on a real person, and this novel will stay with me for a long time.

Do not skip the author's note at the end, but don't read it until after you've read the book.

Other Ariel Lawhon Novels
The Wife, The Maid, and the Mistress (reading January 2024)