What readers think of The Frozen River, plus links to write your own review.

Ariel Lawhon is known for her "biographical fiction," i.e., historical fiction that is closely based on fact. THE FROZEN RIVER, however, is historical fiction INSPIRED by fact. Although most of the characters really did exist, more of the facts about them and around them have been altered or made up.

The main character of THE FROZEN RIVER is a midwife who lives on a farm in Maine with her husband and six children. (Her name was Martha Ballard, and she was an actual person.) She is resourceful and smart and kind, and you'll be happy to know that she is outspoken. Unlike so many of the characters we read about in other books who don't say what we wish they would say, this midwife does. (We can thank Lawhon for the dialogue.) Ballard investigates and testifies in court about a murder and later tends to a woman who was raped and testifies about that, too.

What I liked best about THE FROZEN RIVER is that Lawhon keeps to the truth not only about small-town life in Maine after the Revolutionary War but also about the American legal system at that time, especially as it pertained to women.

When you reach the end of this story, please continue reading the "Authors Note." Here Lawhon answers a lot of the questions you probably had when you were reading.

This was an enjoyable historical fiction. The mystery part does not play a big part in the novel. It's more about the life of the midwife main character, Martha Ballard and how she handles the challenges that come her way. I liked how I came away with a better understanding of what happens when a crime occurs during that time and the limits white women faced.

Full disclosure: if I didn't pursue award-winners, I would only read murder mysteries and historical fiction. "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon is the best of both genres for fans. A midwife and healer in the 1700s stumbles on a mysterious death, and the men in the legal profession dismiss her expert opinion, not a new theme, but one that Lawhon presents well.

Martha Ballard was a real person who gave birth nine times and did everything in her power to make pregnant women comfortable and successful. Public opinion supported rapists even when evidence incriminated them. Martha's duties require a wide range of responsibilities, including reading the signs of childbirth and even burying children born dead to spare the mother.

Historical fiction of many types has focused on how much it sucked to be a woman in the 1700s, so I admire an author that can present this motif in new ways. Add the concept that wealthy men in power have the means to make their transgressions disappear, and you feel like you know where this sad story is going.

The use of flashbacks helps the plot as we learn what Martha went through to enter midwifery and develop the empathy she "currently" has; therefore, more than the crime matters. The legal issues echo the double standards in the post-Revolutionary War atmosphere and add to Martha's character analysis. You do not get where she did in her career without natural caring.

Mistress Ballard shows an aptitude for family life and prenatal care, making you cheer for her. Even her quick interactions with lesser-developed characters will bring on the unexpected emotion. The ending ties up everything nicely, and the author's note shows how intricately the author inserted kernels of truth into a work of fiction and made it digestible for everyone.

This is one of the best historcial books I read this year, The plot was well written , strong characters. Has all that I love a blend of crime and historcial,

This book is inspired by the real diary of midwife Martha Ballard in the 18th century in Hallowell, Maine. She kept a diary of recorded births and deaths and daily activities.
In 1789 Martha as a trained midwife is summoned to examine a body and determine cause of death, of a body found in the frozen Kennebec River. She determines that the body was battered and bruised with broken bones and a mark around the neck. She proclaims that this body was murdered. As she is doing her examination she is dismissed by a doctor. His opinion of the death of Joshua Burgess is accidental drowning.

There is a trial that takes place which Martha must attend but only in the presence of her husband. Martha’s diary has notes of a rape that the deceased may have been involved. Women had no real say in anything then. Martha wanted to seek the truth and find justice no matter what.

Martha’s story is intriguingly woven. It is a gripping tale filled with historical facts and fiction. This is a book you will not be able to put down.
Highly recommended.

The author notes at the end of the book are not to be missed.
Also: Martha Ballard is the great aunt of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. She is also the great-great grandmother of Mary Hobart one of the first female physicians.

A wonderful historical fiction read of Martha Ballard, a midwife with a strong moral compass. Taking place in Maine, in the 18th century. In 1789 a dead man is found in the Kennebec River and Martha is called to examine the body. Martha finds herself investigating the death of, Joshua Burgess, who is believed to have raped the pastor’s wife with another of the town’s respected gentlemen. And so, begins this story of Martha Ballard.

This is a multilayered story and flips from past to present. I throughly enjoyed every minute reading this. There is a main theme thread throughout of gender oppression and familial loyalty. There is a Puritanical culture of shame that dehumanizes and humiliates the book’s female characters. The river and its power is associated with death, danger and of life in general in the town of Hallowell.

Martha’s qualities of — her resilience, courage and savviness are depicted in Lawhon’s storytelling. Martha holds herself and her family in high-esteem.

“I consider them my babies. I am not their mother, of course, but they are mine, and I can still feel the weight of grief hanging heavy in those birthing rooms.”

This is my first read from Ariel Lawhon, but I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.

5.0

Charges pending, witness, diary…

A death, a rape, a trial…. Justice???

Martha is a midwife in 1780s Hallowell , Maine. When a body is found in the icy Kennebec River, she is called to determine the cause of death. The new Harvard-educated, male doctor in town, Dr. Page, disagrees with her findings, citing “accident” as the cause of death.

The body found in the frozen river just happened to be accused of raping the pastor’s wife (along with another “respected” towns person).

A tale of everyday frontier life in the 18th century, journaling, tending to women’s health, prejudice, and equal justice for all.

BRAVO - a great read!


I bought this book last month. I wish I had read it sooner! This will DEFINITELY be in my top reads for this year! Highly recommend!

I have read / enjoyed all of Lawhon’s books but this is my new favorite! This will be a hard act to follow!

Much interesting info about court procedures. Example: court in a tavern and who can & cannot testify in this period of time.

Martha was ahead of the times. A confident, bold, candid, commanding personality. Info online about the real Martha and her diary / journal. The author’s note is a must - read.

Great characters - some you will love and others to hate!

Oh, what a novel! It just pulled me in and wouldn't let go.

Before you read this book, know two important things:
1. Clear your schedule! Once you start reading, it will be really (really!) hard to stop. Yes, it's THAT good.
2. When you finish it, you will have a whopping book hangover.

Magnificently written by Ariel Lawhon, this is page-turning historical fiction wrapped around a murder mystery. It takes place from November 1789 to April 1790 in the small village of Hallowell, Maine during a particularly frigid, icy, and stormy winter. Martha Ballard is a 54-year-old midwife and healer, lovingly married to Ephraim, and mother of six (mostly) grown children. One night in late November after a town dance (called a "frolic"), Joshua Burgess is found dead in the mostly frozen Kennebac River. It takes seven men to haul him out. But this isn't a man who drowned. He has distinct rope burns on his neck, indicating a hanging, as well as bruises and broken bones, indicating a beating.

The plot thickens. The dead man, along with Joseph North, one of the leading and most powerful citizens of the town, are together accused of brutally raping the minister's wife, Rebecca Foster, who becomes pregnant with the baby of one of the rapists. Was Burgess's murder connected to the rape? Outspoken, fearless Martha is determined to solve this mystery and seek justice for the victims even at great risk to herself and her family.

The novel is not only a riveting whodunit with smart twists and turns, but also a brilliant story about life in these difficult times early in our country's history. I was completely captivated reading this imaginative tale with colorful characters, a bit of love and romance, and magnificent storytelling.

Be sure to read the "Author's Note" at the end, as it describes in detail what is and isn't historical fact in this novel. I was quite surprised at how much of it is true. But don't read the "Author's Note" until you have finished the book, as it's filled with story spoilers.

Bonus: Quotations from Shakespeare's plays run throughout the novel, and many of them are the best ones—the ones that so eloquently insult and defame. Read them and laugh!