Ariel Lawhon's gripping sixth novel, The Frozen River, examines the ripple effects of a crime in a small community--and paints a striking portrait of a woman devoted to healing and justice. Life is harsh in rural 1780s Maine, and midwife Martha Ballard takes seriously her duties of attending births and deaths, as well as treating her neighbors' ailments. But even she is stunned when Joshua Burgess, one of two local men accused of rape, is pulled out of the river. As she searches for Burgess's killer (and worries when her son becomes a suspect), Martha tends to her patients and her large family; fights for justice for Burgess's victim; deals with an arrogant new doctor; and writes her observations down in a daybook.
Lawhon (Code Name Hélène; Flight of Dreams) draws on the real Martha Ballard's (1735-1812) diary to construct her narrative, which contains a number of breathless twists and a large cast of hardscrabble characters. The author tenderly portrays the deep love between Martha and her husband, Ephraim, and gives readers a glimpse into their story. She also shows the growing pains of the fledgling U.S. justice system, which is often hijacked by men taking matters into their own hands. As the rape trial approaches, Martha and others must make tough decisions and keep an eye out for their own safety. Though the novel contains some difficult scenes, Martha's first-person narration is undergirded by a deep compassion. Lawhon's novel is a riveting story of small-town justice and a fitting tribute to a quiet, determined heroine. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams