"A richly satisfying drama ... A vivid, exciting page-turner from one of our most interesting authors of historical fiction."
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"Outstanding... Martha is an extraordinary character... Lawhon's first-rate tale should entrance readers passionate about early America and women's history." —Booklist (starred review)
"The stirring story of one woman's quest for justice... Lawhon combines modern prose with the immediacy of her source material, making for an accessible and textured narrative. This accomplished historical powerfully speaks to centuries-old inequities that remain in the present day."
—Publishers Weekly
"With exquisite prose and gripping immediacy, Ariel Lawhon recreates the extraordinary story of Martha Ballard, a real-life yet little-known midwife and healer in Maine who kept a diary in the years after the American Revolution. The Frozen River is so vivid, so textured and multilayered, that I felt I'd opened a door and entered post-revolutionary America, walking beside Lawhon's compelling characters in a time and place riven by hardship, disease, and misogyny, but also intense love and searing natural beauty. This novel was unlike anything I'd read before, and it left me awe-struck."
—Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of City of Light and Ashton Hall
Write your own review
Rated 
of 5
by
kammie sue brunswick
First review
This is one of the best historcial books I read this year, The plot was well written , strong characters. Has all that I love a blend of crime and historcial,
Rated of 5
by
Maureen C
Inspirational Historical Fiction
This book is inspired by the real diary of midwife Martha Ballard in the 18th century in Hallowell, Maine. She kept a diary of recorded births and deaths and daily activities.
In 1789 Martha as a trained midwife is summoned to examine a body and determine cause of death, of a body found in the frozen Kennebec River. She determines that the body was battered and bruised with broken bones and a mark around the neck. She proclaims that this body was murdered. As she is doing her examination she is dismissed by a doctor. His opinion of the death of Joshua Burgess is accidental drowning.
There is a trial that takes place which Martha must attend but only in the presence of her husband. Martha’s diary has notes of a rape that the deceased may have been involved. Women had no real say in anything then. Martha wanted to seek the truth and find justice no matter what.
Martha’s story is intriguingly woven. It is a gripping tale filled with historical facts and fiction. This is a book you will not be able to put down.
Highly recommended.
The author notes at the end of the book are not to be missed.
Also: Martha Ballard is the great aunt of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross. She is also the great-great grandmother of Mary Hobart one of the first female physicians.
Rated of 5
by
Jill
Wonderful Historical Read
A wonderful historical fiction read of Martha Ballard, a midwife with a strong moral compass. Taking place in Maine, in the 18th century. In 1789 a dead man is found in the Kennebec River and Martha is called to examine the body. Martha finds herself investigating the death of, Joshua Burgess, who is believed to have raped the pastor’s wife with another of the town’s respected gentlemen. And so, begins this story of Martha Ballard.
This is a multilayered story and flips from past to present. I throughly enjoyed every minute reading this. There is a main theme thread throughout of gender oppression and familial loyalty. There is a Puritanical culture of shame that dehumanizes and humiliates the book’s female characters. The river and its power is associated with death, danger and of life in general in the town of Hallowell.
Martha’s qualities of — her resilience, courage and savviness are depicted in Lawhon’s storytelling. Martha holds herself and her family in high-esteem.
“I consider them my babies. I am not their mother, of course, but they are mine, and I can still feel the weight of grief hanging heavy in those birthing rooms.”
This is my first read from Ariel Lawhon, but I’m looking forward to reading more of her work.
Rated of 5
by
BookwormBecky
BRAVO !
5.0
Charges pending, witness, diary…
A death, a rape, a trial…. Justice???
Martha is a midwife in 1780s Hallowell , Maine. When a body is found in the icy Kennebec River, she is called to determine the cause of death. The new Harvard-educated, male doctor in town, Dr. Page, disagrees with her findings, citing “accident” as the cause of death.
The body found in the frozen river just happened to be accused of raping the pastor’s wife (along with another “respected” towns person).
A tale of everyday frontier life in the 18th century, journaling, tending to women’s health, prejudice, and equal justice for all.
BRAVO - a great read!
I bought this book last month. I wish I had read it sooner! This will DEFINITELY be in my top reads for this year! Highly recommend!
I have read / enjoyed all of Lawhon’s books but this is my new favorite! This will be a hard act to follow!
Much interesting info about court procedures. Example: court in a tavern and who can & cannot testify in this period of time.
Martha was ahead of the times. A confident, bold, candid, commanding personality. Info online about the real Martha and her diary / journal. The author’s note is a must - read.
Great characters - some you will love and others to hate!
Rated of 5
by
Cathryn Conroy
Magnificent Storytelling! Page-Turning Historical Fiction Wrapped Around a Riveting Whodunit
Oh, what a novel! It just pulled me in and wouldn't let go.
Before you read this book, know two important things:
1. Clear your schedule! Once you start reading, it will be really (really!) hard to stop. Yes, it's THAT good.
2. When you finish it, you will have a whopping book hangover.
Magnificently written by Ariel Lawhon, this is page-turning historical fiction wrapped around a murder mystery. It takes place from November 1789 to April 1790 in the small village of Hallowell, Maine during a particularly frigid, icy, and stormy winter. Martha Ballard is a 54-year-old midwife and healer, lovingly married to Ephraim, and mother of six (mostly) grown children. One night in late November after a town dance (called a "frolic"), Joshua Burgess is found dead in the mostly frozen Kennebac River. It takes seven men to haul him out. But this isn't a man who drowned. He has distinct rope burns on his neck, indicating a hanging, as well as bruises and broken bones, indicating a beating.
The plot thickens. The dead man, along with Joseph North, one of the leading and most powerful citizens of the town, are together accused of brutally raping the minister's wife, Rebecca Foster, who becomes pregnant with the baby of one of the rapists. Was Burgess's murder connected to the rape? Outspoken, fearless Martha is determined to solve this mystery and seek justice for the victims even at great risk to herself and her family.
The novel is not only a riveting whodunit with smart twists and turns, but also a brilliant story about life in these difficult times early in our country's history. I was completely captivated reading this imaginative tale with colorful characters, a bit of love and romance, and magnificent storytelling.
Be sure to read the "Author's Note" at the end, as it describes in detail what is and isn't historical fact in this novel. I was quite surprised at how much of it is true. But don't read the "Author's Note" until you have finished the book, as it's filled with story spoilers.
Bonus: Quotations from Shakespeare's plays run throughout the novel, and many of them are the best ones—the ones that so eloquently insult and defame. Read them and laugh!
Rated of 5
by
Linda J
Lawhon’s Best!
This book is definitely going on my favorite of all time's list. I could not spend enough time with this engrossing story of a midwife, Martha Ballard, in 1789 who, as a vital person in her Maine community, finds herself involved in what she perceives as a murder while a younger, male, Harvard grad, physician disagrees with her determination.
As if this story line isn't enough, Lawhon includes Ballard's family is among the well-developed characters. Her relationship with her husband is full of mutual respect and consideration.
I had just a little trouble keeping track of other citizens, but usually was able to be reminded within a few paragraphs (thanks to Lawhon's mastery) exactly who had just re-entered the story.
Rated of 5
by
Sandy Connell
One of the best books I've read
This is an excellent story based on of a real life midwife in the 1700s.It is historical fiction, murder mystery, and a love story wrapped into one, and a fascinating book that you can't stop reading!
Rated of 5
by
JoreneJ
The Frozen River: A midwife fights prejudice against women in early America
This is historical mystery focused on the life of a real midwife in post revolutionary America. While respected by women, a midwife was not respected by the medical community in early America and although she has the role of giving testimony on mortalities, when she gives her opinion that a recent death is a murder she conflicts with the powers that want to rule an accidental drowning. I loved the setting of this book- in Maine's winter- and the writer makes you feel "chilled' at every turn. The mystery of the death unfolds among side stories of other discriminations against women and powerful men controlling the community. Evil lurks, but our heroine will not give up on her quest for the truth! If you enjoyed books like Lady Tan's Circle of Women you will enjoy seeing the role of a courageous midwife in early America.
Rated 
of 5
by
Nancy Sandra
Life and Death Along the Kennebec: A Haunting Tale of Survival and Loss
This story masterfully weaves together themes of life and death in a harsh, unforgiving environment. The vivid and chilling imagery of the frozen Kennebec River, where a dead man drifts under the ice, sets a dark, mysterious tone that grips the reader. The transition to a childbirth scene is stark yet thematically resonant, contrasting the harshness of death with the raw power of new life. The descriptions are rich and immersive, drawing the reader into both the physical and emotional landscapes of the characters. The story's strength lies in its atmospheric writing and the powerful juxtaposition of life's fragility against nature's indifference.
