The Frozen River
ABOUT
THE BOOK
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. When a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the murder on her own.
NOMINATING LIBRARY COMMENTS
Inspired by the diary of a real midwife, Martha Ballard, The Frozen River takes place in Maine in the year 1789. The novel recounts the events that unfold when a dead body is found frozen in the Kennebec River. Both a mystery and an account of small village life in the 18th century, this novel offers insight into the role of women in their communities at this time in history as well as a portrayal of family dynamics that remain timeless.