Description

**New York Times Bestseller • GMA Book Club Pick • An NPR Book of the Year**

From Ariel Lawhon, the bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène, comes a riveting historical mystery inspired by the true story and diary of Martha Ballard—an 18th-century midwife who defied societal norms, challenged the legal system, and carved her place in American history.

Maine, 1789: When a man’s body is discovered frozen in the Kennebec River, Martha Ballard is called upon to examine the corpse and determine the cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she possesses an intimate knowledge of the town’s secrets—recording every birth, death, and scandal that unfolds in her meticulous diary. Months earlier, she documented an alleged assault involving two of Hallowell’s most esteemed men. Now, one of those men has turned up dead in the ice.

Despite Martha’s findings, a local physician dismisses her conclusion, ruling the death an accident. Refusing to stay silent, she takes it upon herself to uncover the truth. As the trial approaches and tensions rise, Martha’s diary becomes central to the controversy—threatening those she holds dear and forcing her to make an impossible choice.

Richly layered and deeply compelling, The Frozen River brings to life an unsung heroine who demanded justice in a time when women’s voices were often ignored. With courage and determination, Martha Ballard’s story unfolds in this gripping, thought-provoking novel that cements her rightful place in history.