The Frozen River: A Novel

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who investigates a shocking murder that unhinges her small community.

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Published Dec 5, 2023

Average rating: 8.37

3,737 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Btru
Jun 04, 2025
January Book - Ashley
Stephanie Roose
May 28, 2025
7/10 stars
Interesting, violent and twisted, but good.
HappyPsyche
May 24, 2025
8/10 stars
Loved this book, strong bonds, strong women doing what women do...bringing life, and living with life...lyrically written. Historical (non) fiction..if you don't know Martha yet, you will wish she were part of your inner circle by the end.
Ronda
May 11, 2025
10/10 stars
“Memory is a wicked thing that warps and twists” (39). “Time is a thing we feel, and our days are ordered accordingly “ (42). “You’ve been reading Shakespeare again” . . . “I like the way he delivers an insult” (89). “That clay-brained guts, that knotty-pated fool, that whoreson, obscene, greasy tallow-catch” (89). “The joy of having sons is that they worship their mothers. Until they don’t” (202). “Then that boy — once small and sweet — begins the long, hard process of separation, until at last he rips the seam. But the holes where mother and son were once knit together remain” (202). “How many worries would you have me carry today, love?” (318). “. . . because wisdom is not a thing you can acquire for your children” (357).
Anonymous
May 04, 2025
10/10 stars
Loved this one! Historical fiction done right. So many characters but Lawhon makes them all accessible and memorable! Loved Martha Ballard and so happy to know about her.

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