The Frozen River: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon

 

 

 The Frozen River: A Novel by Ariel Lawhon. Random House, 2023. Adult Historical fiction.

It is 1789 and Martha Ballard is the midwife and healer for her community of Hallowell, Maine. Martha keeps a journal of her days and bears witness to the births and deaths in the area. When two men are accused of rape, one is found dead in the Kennebec River. The other is a prominent judge. With a new doctor in town, there is a dispute about the death and Martha's whole family becomes involved. Martha and her journal are called to testify on the matter.

I know I may sound like the woman who claims every year is THE best Christmas tree, but this is THE best historical fiction I have read this year. Martha and her husband are loving and practical. Life in the early colonies is hard, made even harder with a long winter. The babies Martha delivers form a bond with their mothers and the midwife. Based on a nonfiction biography's information (Pulitzer Prize winner L.T. Ulrich's A Midwife's Tale) about the real Martha Ballard, the story is gripping. End notes tell what compromises Lawhon has made in this fictional story in order to make this novel read more smoothly. Grab a pen and start your own journal!

The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King

 

 The Lantern's Dance: A Novel of Suspense Featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes by Laurie R. King. Bantam, 2024. Mystery. 

   When Sherlock Holmes and his wife, Mary Russell, go to France to visit with Holmes grown son, Damian Adler and his wife and young daughter, they land in a spot of trouble involving shady characters who seem to be after Damian. While Holmes spirits the little family into safety, Russell nurses her hurt ankle and translates a journal found in crates sent from the esteemed art institute to Damian's home. Chapters of the translated journal provide clues about the Holmes family, their link to a famous artist, and why Damian may be in danger. Of course, all is resolved in a glorious way, thanks to the capable hands of Laurie R. King. 

  I highly recommend starting with The Language of Bees for some background on Russell and Holmes. Those of us who have followed the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes novels over the years celebrate any new title. King continues to expand Holmes' family and provide background on his past. 

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A Piece of the World: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline

 

A Piece of the World: A Novel by Christina Baker Kline. William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, 2017. Adult fiction.

This is the fictional story of Christina Olson of Cushing, Maine and her family. Christina is the inspiration for the woman in Andrew Wyeth's famous painting, Christina's World. Kline has done a masterful job of imagining her life. Disabled for most of her life, Christina and her brother were hosts to Wyeth many summers. Well researched and documented in notes at the end of the book, this tale provides inner imaginings based on what is known about Christina. More information has been published about Wyeth and Christina's relationship since the publication of this title and readers will want to find out what happened to them all. An illustration shows the famous painting at the very end of the book. Overall, a haunting, evocative, lovely story well told.