Overview
From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.
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.
Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen Riveris a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
Review
A man has been found frozen in ice. Martha Ballard, the local midwife, has been called in to examine the body and determine the cause of death. She comes to one conclusion, but the physician of the town comes to another. Martha knows the truth and she does not stop, even when it could damage her reputation and her well built life as she knows it.
I loved everything about this book. Martha is a character that is tough as nails and smart as a whip! And this time period…oh my word. What women went through to just be heard, not even believed, just heard!
The research that went into the tale is amazing. I loved learning about the court system in that time period. I had no idea about some if the processes and the way things worked back then.
I have said this before and I will say this again…I LOVE A BOOK WHICH HAS ME RESEARCHING. I could not wait to look up Martha Ballard and to learn more about her life!
Need a book which is intense and will keep you up long into the night…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!
I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.
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