Join us at the Historic Theater at The Music Hall on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. for Writers on a New England Stage featuring Ariel Lawhon. Lawhon will be in conversation with NHPR’s Director of On Demand Audio Rebecca Lavoie about her latest book, The Frozen River. Tickets are available here.
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine the cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.
The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.
Ariel Lawhon is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have been Indie Next, Costco, Amazon Spotlight, and Book of the Month Club selections.