The Frozen River: Ariel Lawhon
A highly-recommended frosty tale
The Frozen River might be the perfect book to get you through second half of the first month of a new year that’s off to a rocky start. If you like Maine, midwives, or mysteries I recommend The Frozen River, inspired by the life and day book (right on trend!) of midwife Martha Ballard (1735 - 1812). Fellow reader and writer Carlye Holladay told me to read this book. I don’t read a lot of historical fiction and I’m glad I was smart enough to listen to Carlye.
It’s November 1789 in Hallowell, Maine on the Kennebec River. Women aren’t allowed give testimony in court without their husband (or father, if they’re not married) present. Sexual assault is punished less harshly than gossip. The weather is brutal. In other words, some elements will be familiar in January 2025.
When the story opens an accused rapist is found dead. Martha Ballard has just delivered a baby and is woken in the wee hours to trek into town and determine the cause of death. A Harvard-educated male doctor shows up and says the death was accidental. This is quite convenient for the accused man’s co-defendant, the town judge. Naturally, Martha investigates the murder on her own, which puts her at odds with said judge. Martha is just want I want in a protagonist: clever, scrappy, brave, loyal. There’s also property drama, a falcon, and a (literal) silver fox. I really, really liked this book. If I have the tiniest quibble, it’s that Martha and her rugged, multi-talented, Shakespeare-quoting husband have been married for 35 years and are constantly looking for chances to get frisky in the woodshed. I haven’t been married for 35 years, so maybe I’ll know when I know, but at present, I thought, “really? Huh, I figured everyone would be pretty stinky— all that horse-riding, birthing, and very little bathing.”
Writers will appreciate the Author’s Note. There, Ariel Lawhon details how the spark of the story found her and what she changed after pouring over Martha Ballard’s day book to fit the time constraints for the novel.
Don’t take my word for it
The Poison Pen bookstore in Scottsdale chose The Frozen River for their January Croak and Dagger (!!) book club selection. That book club happens midday Saturdays (on Zoom), in the middle of the month, if you’re a lover of mysteries and things that don’t happen on weeknights. Also: NPR Best Book of 2023, Good Morning America Book Club. It’s not just me.
Related
Writer and reader Sharon Holcombe included Laurel Ulrich’s (1991, Pulitzer Prize-winning) biography The Midwife’s Tale (about the real Martha Ballard) in her starred books of 2024 list, which I very much enjoyed.
Related, fun fact
Prof. Lauren Ulrich (from Harvard in real life and obviously superior-in-every-way to the fictitious Dr. Benjamin Page in Lawhon’s novel) is the reason we have the phrase “Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.” She originally meant it differently (in a 1976 academic paper) than the way it became famous, but she went with it and wrote a book with that title. Amazing, yes?
One more thing
We got a new kitten! Our pre-existing cat Marvin only indulges in cuddling when I’m reading in bed at night. Reggie, the kitten, is all in. On daytime cuddles, on the zoomies, on The Frozen River. Give it a try*! Do it for Reggie.
Tell me, what book is keeping you cozy right now?
Happy Reading!
Notes:
*If it’s right for you, a sexual assault is central to the story. Take care of yourself.
Bookshop link to The Frozen River
What a sweet new kitty! 🥰
My wife loved the book. It’s on my TBR. Thanks.