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2025 Longlist

The Frozen River

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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.

ABOUT
THE AUTHOR Ariel
Lawhon

ARIEL LAWHON is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated in numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. Ariel splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

ARIEL LAWHON is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated in numerous languages and have been Library Reads, One Book One County, Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons. Ariel splits her time between the grocery store and the baseball field.

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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.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Date published
05/12/2023
Country
United States
Original Language
English
Author
Publisher
Doubleday, Penguin Random House US
Borrow this book from Libraries Ireland

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