In her latest historical fiction, Ariel Lawhon has taken the diaries of real-life Maine midwife Martha Ballard and used her entries as the basis for an intriguing murder mystery set in the small town of Hallowell, Maine during one brutal winter when the Kennebec River froze solid from November to April in the late 1780s.
The Frozen River (#1,206) is an engaging read as the fictional Martha stands by a victim of a rape by two men while her husband was away. When one of the men's body is found frozen in the river, Martha is called in to observe the body. In her role as midwife, she has standing with the court to testify on certain matters. But when she testifies the death was the result of murder, she creates a furor in the town. It soon becomes clear that the other powerful man in town accused of the rape is determined to get his revenge on anyone who dares to speak out against him. That includes the Ballard family and their lumber mill.
It is told in such a way that you want to read just one more chapter...
A minor nit about some of the anachronisms that creep into the book, but most people probably won't even notice them. It certainly doesn't prevent it from being a well-told story about a remarkable woman who managed to leave her mark on history. Recommended.
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