The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Here is a great example of me seeing a book multiple times in multiple places, thinking “Eh” and being completely wrong about said book.

Step back in time to the day after Christmas. I am trekking through an airport, needing to kill time so I pop into one of the stores. Wandering to the back of the store where the airport books are always kept, I spot this on the shelf. On impulse I buy the book because I am thinking I might need a second book to have on this trip as I am well into the one I had brought with me and foolishly didn’t bring a back up read.

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon was my last read of 2024. (Yes, it has taken me a hot minute to get this review written.) This is a story takes place during the cold Maine winter of 1789 and is a tale of murder, survival and justice. Martha Ballard, the main character, is a fifty year old midwife and healer who is asked to examine a body pulled from Kennebec River.

Martha is based on a real historical figure whose diary gives a glimpse into life in post-Revolutionary America. Society was very patriarchal and women were dependent on the men in their lives for whatever freedoms they had. Being a midwife and healer gave Martha some power that women didn’t typically have during the this time period. Besides the medicinal aspect of her practice, Martha was also privy to the inside lives of the families she served. During this time in American history, what community meant and the close knit relationships that are formed meant there was a high level of interdependency in order to survive. Therefore, Martha must constantly walk a line between being respected in the community and regarded with suspicion because of the knowledge she possessed.

Because of her position in the community, Martha is involved in the investigation of the murder of the gentleman pulled from the river. As the investigation progresses, Martha is needed to testify to what she knows about how the death occurred as well another crime that may be connected to the murder. Complicating matters is the arrival of a Harvard educated doctor who not only places no value in Martha’s medical knowledge but actively tries to turn townspeople against her. As the story moves forward, she realizes that members of her own family may know something about what happened.

What made me take the leap of faith and choose this book I couldn’t tell you but I am so glad I did. What I loved about this novel was the time period of the story - it made the whole premise of the book. The story would not have the same emotional and intellectual impact if it was set in 1889 or 1989. Another reason I adored this novel was Martha Ballard herself. She was a smart, independent minded woman who had to figure out how to work within the social confines that existed at that time. She showed immense bravery. Her relationship with her husband, Ephraim, came across as genuine and very clearly loving. (And let’s talk for a minute about what a great husband he was! He always had Martha’s back except that one time…and even then his words were meant to be helpful.) Lastly, and what surprised me, was her parenting style. It was so relatable! The concerns she had about each of her children; the way she saw things her children didn’t know she saw and how she kept it to herself, using the information to help her have the right conversations with each one. Her acknowledgment that parenting adult kids who still live at home takes different skills.

Kennebec River, Maine

It’s still cool in many parts of the country and this is a great read if it is a ‘grab the blanket’ kind of day.

P.S. - As I was putting this post together, a new novel came to my attention: Isola by Allegra Goodman. I haven’t read it (yet!) but it is another story about a woman having to survive in society and, when she finds herself marooned, in nature.