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“Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon

About Blog Post Jan 19, 2024 by SCLSNJ Staff
“Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon Review by Amy Atzert, collection development librarian The year is 1789 and the long frigid winter hangs over the town of Hallowell, Maine. Midwife Martha Ballard is called to determine the cause of death of a body that has been pulled out of the icy Kennebec River. Indeed much of what goes on in this town Martha is privy to and writes down in her diaries. After a thorough examination Martha can clearly see that this man's death was a hanging. A new doctor in town begs to differ and rules the man’s death accidental. Martha knows things about the people who are tied to this murder, and she is determined to set the record straight. She won’t let some arrogant, biased doctor get it wrong and ruin the lives and reputations of the people in the town she holds dear.  This is a buzzworthy title for sure. A compelling historical mystery inspired by real-life midwife Ballard. The author showed her to be strong and stalwart and yet gentle and vulnerable with the people in her community, men and women alike. Well-written and likable supporting characters. A nice bonus was the lengthy and detailed author’s note at the end. Lawhon describes how she took license with the real Ballard’s diaries regarding timelines and events to create the mix of suspicion and drama. No worries, she gives the reader a loud spoiler alert: don't turn the page if you haven’t finished the book.
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