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!