The Frozen River

• Author: Ariel Lawhon
• Genre: Historical Fiction
• Publication Date: December 5, 2023
• Publisher: Random House Audio

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Thank you to libro.fm and Random House Audio for providing me with an ALC of this audiobook. I am offering my honest opinion voluntarily.

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 River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.

This sounded like a fascinating story, and the fact that it was inspired by a true story was even more astounding. A midwife in the 18th-century who made history is already uncommon, and one who managed to defy the legal system of her times was extremely rare. 

Jane Oppenheimer did a fantastic job of narrating this story. She brought Martha Ballard to life in such a realistic way that it felt like I was right there with her. I want to say that she made Martha feel real, but it was never far from my mind that Martha was an actual person and that this story was inspired by actual events. 

Martha was a character that was so easy to empathize with and love. She’s level headed and intelligent, devoted to her patients and her family. As a midwife, Martha knows what goes on behind closed doors, documents all major events in the town as well as her own personal life, and isn’t afraid to speak up for what she sees as wrong. While reading, Martha stood out to me as a great role model for the #MeToo movement. There are several times in the story where Martha is questioned about whether she believes the woman about the sexual assault, and each time, Martha firmly and unquestioningly states that she believes the woman without a doubt. 

The diary itself was a curious thing, in a time when most women weren’t literate. Martha’s diary plays a major role in this story as well, sort of becoming a character as well, not only featuring in each chapter, but also becoming a witness in itself during a landmark trial and all the steps required to reach that trial. It reminded me of how doctors and therapists take notes on each patient that they meet with, and cemented Martha’s status as not only a midwife, but also a healer to the community. Her knowledge was solid and as we now know, based in scientific facts that genuinely do help various health conditions. Her conflict with the new doctor in town was infuriating, because he was constantly demeaning her not only because she was a woman, but because her experience was hands-on learning while his was from a Harvard degree.

This was one of those rare stories that completely transported me right alongside the characters—reading about the frigid winter had me snuggling under a blanket even though I normally run warm—got its hooks in me early and didn’t let go until the very end. It was paced perfectly, with just enough being revealed to keep me guessing. Also, the details of Martha’s life was still interesting, and I found myself invested in all the layers of this story: the outcome of Martha’s investigation, the outcome of the trial, how the pregnancies of various women fare, and whether Martha triumphs over that stupid young doctor. It’s a story of a woman whose thoughts were far more progressive than that of most of her peers, and I couldn’t help but cheer when Martha basically tells a man that no one orders her around. You know those books that just get into your head and plan to take up space for a long time? This is one of them, and I don’t mind a bit. Don’t miss this one.