The story of Martha Ballard, a midwife in the late 1790s in a rural town in Maine, USA. Martha’s work is delivering babies and caring for the community around her, making medicines, giving advice and treating ailments. She deeply cares about the women she aids, has a close and loving bond with her family and a mutually supportive relationship with her husband Ephraim. This is one of my favourite depictions of a marriage. It is so sensitively and realistically drawn.

The community is experiencing an extremely harsh winter and the mighty Kennebec river has frozen over, this lasts for months. In the course of that winter a body is discovered trapped in the ice, held in place by their hair. How they got there and events leading up to this are a compelling mystery. Martha sets out to determine what exactly happened. As the blurb states this is no cosy mystery; there are graphic descriptions of an assault, and also difficult childbirths, which some readers may find upsetting.

I very much enjoyed Ariel Lawton’s style of writing, the pace is good, Martha is never still for long and events move swiftly on. I always enjoy historical fiction and after reading learnt that in fact Martha Ballard was a real life midwife in this period and area of the United States. I will definitely seek out more of Lawhon’s novels.

The Frozen River was chosen as a bookclub read and the paperback was quite difficult to obtain. I was really pleased to see that it will be more widely released in the UK when it’s re-published in April.

A note of caution: I initially listened to the audiobook and disappointingly narrator Jane Oppenheimer’s attempts at Scottish accents are woeful. They made me turn to the paperback and then NetGalley’s e-book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

The Frozen River by Lawhon is a story of bravery, feminism and love.

The story follows Martha Ballard, midwife, healer, and (in my opinion) feminist. She delivers babies, tends to the ill and fights for women's rights by solving a murder and multiple sexual assaults and rapes. The setting of the book and the well-developed characters made this a joy to read. I felt like I was transported back to the 18th- century, the harsh winter and dire conditions of life. At the same time, the characters in this book made me realise that even in times of great distress, crisis, and injustice, love can be found in friends and family, and people will always take care of others even when you least expect it. Some parts were difficult to read: rape, misogyny, social class injustices etc. But Martha's reactions to these situations are exactly what made this book amazing. She was ahead of her time, always on the run for other people - women -, always trying to combat stigma and overall doing her best whenever she could. I'm so glad the world sees women different now, as compared to back then. We're still not there yet, there's work to do, always. But it was great to see Martha being a pioneer when it comes to women's rights and justice.

I'd call this historical fiction, but the author emphasizes that the novel is inspired by - not based on - historical facts about Martha and diary entries Martha wrote herself. I found the author's note at the end of the book a valuable supplement to the book, which explained more about the Ballard family, where they ended up after the story ended, and which parts of the novel were facts or fiction.

I had never before read a book by Lawhon, but I'm sure more will follow after this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift Press for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

One small town, so many secrets.

Ah yes, the way things are supposed to be for men and how they differ from women's rights. With alarming similarities to the world we live in today.

A historical mystery based on true events set in the early years of colonial America. Beautifully researched, I enjoyed the storytelling and the resilience of women in a male dominated society. My late mother, a midwife, would have been absorbed as was I in the medical details and the role of healer.

With thanks to NetGalley and Swift Press for an early Kindle copy of The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon.

It is a thoroughly enjoyable read, perfect for fans of historical fiction based on true events.

Martha Ballard, a midwife and healer in 1600s Maine, is a strong and resilient character. Despite her troubled past, she dedicates herself to her community and is a devoted wife and mother.

The story begins with a rape and murder—a body found in the frozen Kennebec River during one of Maine’s harshest winters. As events unfold, the novel explores the early justice system and the deep-rooted misogyny that shaped women’s lives, often making them bear the consequences of men’s actions.

This would probably have been a five-star read last year but I am trying to save that honour for only a very few outstanding novels, this would be a 4.5 if I were allowed!

The Frozen River follows the story of a midwife, Martha Ballard, in 18th Century Maine as she goes about her life in her local town. I found this book to be well researched and coherently written, it really gave you a taste of life, especially for women, in colonial America. The world building really helped you picture life along the Kennebec River and how ordinary town residents lived their lives.

The story was riveting, with the plot twist of a murder thrown in, as well as showing how the early American justice system worked for its citizens. It really highlights the mysogany faced by women in this society and the strength that they had in such adverse conditions. The more I read, the more I was compelled by Martha's story and that of her family. Martha is portrayed as a strong woman, a pillar in the local community and one that seeks to best support others anyway she can. Some of the side characters, especially those in her family, also stood out in this story and I found myself rooting for some of the fledging courtships

Overall, this book really reminded me of why I have such a love of historical fiction and the importance of telling the stories based in the past. I would thoroughly recommend it to any historical fiction lovers, or those who enjoy stories based around strong women.

5⭐️

I was drawn to this book from all the buzz on social media. The hype is real, it really is one that you don’t want to miss out on.

Historical 17th century fiction with the main character a midwife and healer inspired by Martha Ballard who also kept a diary providing historians great insight into the life of Colonial women. This is a fictional account of a 6 month time frame in her life one winter while the river was frozen.

There’s a mystery which falls into Martha’s lap. It immediately drew me in, I love the writing style which has an informal chatty style about it, it gives a feeling of the era without all the old English, so it’s an easy read.
There are quite a few references to Shakespeare who was popular in the US at the time, but it doesn’t detract from the story’s premise.

I was absolutely drawn into Martha’s world, the harshness of the life, the struggle of women to have a voice, the mystery created. I loved this book so much! It’s in my books of the year.
It’s worth reading the authors notes to see how much is based on fact and how much fiction. X

You don’t need to love historical fiction to love this book. It’s very character driven, the characterisation is superb. I’m now keen to read more by this author.

Ariel Lawhon’s *The Frozen River* is a beautifully crafted historical novel that blends mystery, resilience, and rich period detail. Set in 18th-century Maine, the story follows Martha Ballard, a midwife whose meticulous record-keeping and sharp instincts lead her to uncover the truth behind a suspicious death. Lawhon captures the challenges of a woman navigating justice in a world dominated by men.

The Frozen River is a gripping and thought-provoking novel. The novel seamlessly weaves themes of justice, gender, and survival, making it a compelling read for historical fiction fans. Martha’s story lingers long after the final page—a testament to Lawhon’s talent for breathing life into the past.

I was lucky to receive a paperback copy of The Frozen River from my daughter who bought it for me in New York. The book was a bestseller there and all the bookshops had displays in their windows. Then I received an arc from Netgalley for an honest review.
As Ariel Lawhon explains The Frozen River is inspired by real events as opposed to being based on them. Martha Ballard was a midwife in Maine in the late 1700’s who delivered over a thousand babies in her career and never lost a mother in childbirth..
The story begins in 1789 when Martha is summoned to examine a body entombed in the Ice. This is a remarkable story which I really enjoyed. I have taken one star off because I don’t like romance in a good story and though some of it is necessary I found it a bit too much. Just my preference.
Thank you to Netgalley and a big thank you to my daughter for my early paperback.

An excellently researched, well plotted novel that is inspired by the historical figure of Martha Ballard, a mid-wife.

This was an extremely absorbing and enjoyable read. I particularly enjoyed reading about the brave women and midwifery in history. The relationship between Martha and her husband is a beautiful one, filled with love and care.

It is quite a long novel and I thought it could have benefitted with developing some of the characters further, I am thinking here especially of Martha's children.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.