Picture this: the Kennebec River in Maine, 1789, locked in an icy grip that hides more than just winter's chill. A man's body turns up entombed in the ice, and it's up to Martha Ballard, the town's trusted midwife and healer, to figure out how he died. What starts as a routine examination pulls her into a storm of scandal, because this dead man was one of two respected gentlemen accused of rape months earlier—recorded right in her meticulous diary.
Martha wasn't just any woman in late 18th-century America. She delivered babies, mended the sick, and kept the pulse on Hallowell’s hidden dramas through her daily journal—one of the most complete records of colonial life we have today. Ariel Lawhon takes this unsung legend and breathes fiery life into her, making her investigate a murder cover-up when the local doctor calls it an accident. As whispers spread and loyalties fracture, Martha's diary becomes exhibit A in a trial that could destroy everything she holds dear.
Listen to the unbridged audiobook and feel the tension build like the thickening ice. Lawhon's prose is sharp and immersive, blending historical accuracy with page-turning suspense. You'll hear Martha's voice—brave, outspoken—challenging powerful men in an era when women were meant to stay silent. It's got the intrigue of a courtroom drama, the intimacy of midwifery tales, and the thrill of unraveling who really killed whom.
Whether you're commuting, cooking dinner, or settling in for a cozy night, this audiobook transports you to frontier Maine. Fans of Outlander will love Martha's fearless spirit, much like Claire Fraser. It raises big questions: What would you risk for justice? How far would you go to protect the innocent? By winter's end, you'll admire this forgotten heroine who wrote herself into history. Grab The Frozen River and let Martha's story thaw the silence around women's voices in early America.
