Review: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Title: The Frozen River

Author: Ariel Lawhon

Year published: 2024

Category: Adult fiction (mystery, historical fiction)

Pages: 304 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5

Location: (my 2024 Google Reading map): USA (ME, MA)

Summary: Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Review: This was a spontaneous purchase at Costco earlier this week. The cover appealed to me as winter is approaching (not that we get scenes like this one where I live, but still). Oh, I am so glad I picked this book up. It was just what I needed. [after posting this review, I realized that Lawhon also wrote Code Name Helene, which I enjoyed]

I do love historical fiction and this one had jus the right amount of social, political, and cultural history while not overdoing it. The history is revealed in little bits as the characters interact and live their lives. It is set in 1789-1790 United States, an era I usually don't find all that interesting, but learning about midwifery, the lives of women, the legal system (and in particular how it was for husbands/wives and men/women), and more kept me hooked on this novel.

And to have a mystery that ran through the book was a bonus that was well done. This isn't a murder mystery in the traditional sense, but rather part of the larger story. There are so many characters as we get to know the town of Hallowell, Maine but it wasn't difficult to keep them all straight as we really got to know about all of them.

And the Author's note at the end. Wow. I didn't even know there was one and to learn that this novel is based on a real woman/midwife was such a bonus!

Challenges for which this counts: 

• Bookish--the main character's daily journal/diary looms large
• Cloak and Dagger