The Frozen River

by Ariel Lawhon

The St. Luke book group will meet in the Garden Court to discuss The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. It’s a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who challenged the legal system and made her mark in American history. When the Kennebec River freezes in Maine in 1789, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is called to examine the body and determine the cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she knows a lot about what happens behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary records every birth, death, crime, and disaster that occurs in the close-knit community.