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The frozen river : a novel / Ariel Lawhon.

Lawhon, Ariel, (author.).

Summary:

"A gripping historical mystery based on the real-life diary entries of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town's most respected gentlemen--one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780593312070
  • ISBN: 0593312074
  • ISBN: 9780385546874
  • ISBN: 0385546874
  • Physical Description: 432 pages : map ; 24 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York, New York : Doubleday, 2023.

Content descriptions

General Note:
Publisher, dates, and paging may vary.
Subject: Ballard, Martha, 1735-1812 > Fiction.
Murder > Investigation > Fiction.
Midwives > Fiction.
Diaries > Fiction.
Kennebec River Valley (Me.) > Social life and customs > 18th century > Fiction.
Maine > History > 1775-1865 > Fiction.
Genre: Detective and mystery fiction.
Biographical fiction.
Historical fiction.

Available copies

  • 4 of 173 copies available at NC Cardinal.
  • 0 of 4 copies available at Rockingham County Public Library. (Show)

Holds

  • 100 current holds with 173 total copies.
Sort by distance from:
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Eden Library Fic (Text) 31554011763934 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/27/2025
Madison-Mayodan Public Library Fic (Text) 31554011763926 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/20/2025
Reidsville Library Fic Paperback (Text) 31554012305412 Adult New Fiction On holds shelf -
Stoneville Library Fic (Text) 31554011763918 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/27/2025
Albemarle Main Library FIC Lawhon (Text) 31010000847998 Adult New Fiction On holds shelf -
Albertson Community Library AFIC LAW 0924 (Text) 30372102051213 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/22/2025
Anderson Creek Public Library F Law (Text) 33630005347443 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/22/2025
Andrews Public Library F LAW (Text) 80605003699112 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/19/2025
Ashe County Public Library F LAW (Text) 50503011324219 Adult New Fiction Checked out 08/23/2025
Avery County Morrison Public Library FIC LAW (Text) 31111003033881 Adult Fiction Checked out 08/25/2025