The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

October 2, 2025

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Martha Ballard is a midwife who also acts as healer and coroner for the small community of Hallowell, Maine. When a body is pulled from the river, Martha is called to examine the corpse and determine the cause of death. She soon discovers that the man was murdered and then thrown in the river. But the case becomes more complicated when she learns that the dead man along with another of the town's prominent citizens had been accused of rape.

Based on the diary of a midwife in 18th century Maine. Martha's diary was at first discounted as not being of any historical importance since most of her entries record the daily life of an 18th century woman, which were wonderfully adapted by the author. But it also contains glimpses of the world around her, particularly where the law in concerned. She refers to her husband's friend Paul, who turns out to be Paul Revere (yes, that Paul Revere). Revere actually borrowed a horse from Martha's husband Ephraim to make his famous ride. I listened to the audiobook of this historical novel, and I can see that it might be a slog to read since story moves as slowly as a frozen river thawing. Possible triggers include descriptions of rape, misogyny, and injustice. Will appeal to readers who enjoy reading about strong yet little known female characters.

Sawmill circa 18th c.