December 2024

There are times when I wonder WHY I did not get to a book sooner. This was the case with THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon. It came out a year ago, and I just got to it last week. I loved the first-person voice of Martha Ballard, a renowned midwife who delivered babies in Maine. The novel is set in the winter of 1789 when the river has frozen --- and a man’s body is discovered there. The mystery of how he got there and who was responsible sets up the backbone of the book. What Martha is able to uncover --- and how she does it --- is what makes the story special.

Ariel learned of Martha while she was waiting to see her obstetrician when she was pregnant with her fourth son. She filed this as a story that she wanted to read more about, and she went on to write four books before circling back to research what became THE FROZEN RIVER. Among her research was reading the diaries that Martha kept over her 30-year practice. Reading and, yes, deciphering Martha’s handwriting gave her some of the gems that imbue the story with such rich detail.

These were the days when unwed mothers were fined in court for “the crime of fornication,” while the fathers bore no ill will. Martha felt that men should be much more accountable --- and she called them to task. What was delightful is that Martha and her husband shared a loving and supportive relationship at a time when so many women were just housewives with no role outside the home.

The storytelling is rich and beautiful. I can see why so many have felt that this was a book that they wanted to both read and discuss.

Enjoy our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event with Ariel here.