The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Life was hard for settlers in Maine in 1789 and women knew this all too well. Disease, crop failure, childbirth or the whims of men plagued women young and old. Martha Ballard is a respected midwife who up until now has been the medical authority for the village. She is there for births, sickness, death and accidents all of which she diligently records in her journal. When she is summoned to help with a boat accident and to record a death of a man found trapped under the ice she fears that her findings will put her family at risk. Not everyone is eager to hear the truth especially the legal authority in town and the men who may be responsible for the death and a rape coverup. It takes great strength to stand by her convictions and that is what she does even if her family will be harmed. Gentle storytelling blended artfully with the violence of the harsh New England landscape and vicious treatment of women at the hands of powerful men. Historical fiction that will appeal to readers of Greer Macallister and Alice Hoffman.
​4 1/2 stars