This book does what all good historical fiction does. I learned something from it and was inspired to do some research and learn more. It was an interesting and informative read. The story moved a little slowly at times, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, but it was well worth sticking with to get to the end. I did have questions after reading. Some were answered with a little research; others were not.
My rating: 4.5

The Frozen River: A Novel, Ariel Lawhon, author; Jane Oppenheimer, narrator
The year is 1789, the place is Maine. It is a time in history before the laws were similar to ours today, and a time when women had absolutely no rights at all, a time when they were totally subservient to the will of the men in their lives and to the men in power. They could not own property or make decisions or give testimony without the approval of a male member of the family.
When the Kennebec County community was stunned by the discovery of a body in the frozen river that bordered their homes, a body that turns out to be a man called Joshua Burgess, Martha Ballard, the wife of Ephriam Ballard, Jr., was called upon to examine the body. Martha, unlike most women of her day was literate. She was also a trained midwife who kept detailed journals recording her work. Her profession tended to those brought into the world and those who were leaving it. Martha’s experience and carefully written records were often called upon to corroborate or offer evidence in what was then considered a court of law.
On the night of the discovery of the dead body of Joshua Burgess, Martha made her own discovery when she tended to the pastor’s wife, Rebecca Foster. Rebecca had been injured and violently raped by two men, one of whom was the man found in the frozen river. The other man that she accused was a judge, Joseph North, and a major figure of power and influence in the community.
When Margaret was called upon by the court to offer her findings about the death of Burgess, she declared the death of the man in the river to be murder. However, a newly arrived Harvard doctor, Benjamin Page, contradicted her finding and declared the death to be accidental. Martha had realized that the injuries to the body defied that judgment, but as a woman, not a doctor, she was ridiculed and overruled.
When the pastor’s wife was accused of fornication, and her husband accused of the murder, Martha stepped in again, as a witness. She defended Rebecca against the charges made against her. The judge declares that both the murder and the rape will be subject to further investigation, by a higher court. The conspiracy theories develop and Martha is sucked more and more into the maelstrom of events and the investigation. Who murdered Burgess? Who raped Rebecca? Why are the women guilty when the men commit such crimes? Why are the judges and juries only men?
As the investigation proceeds, it twists and turns as the guilty and innocent are put through the agonies of the investigation and the powerlessness of the women becomes more and more obvious. It seems highly improbable, but true, that there are two different standards of justice, one for men and one for women. The injustice is obvious. The falsehoods told by the men are accepted as truth, though there are no witnesses to support them and prove the charges are incorrect, but the truth spoken by the women is denied, for the very same reason, the lack of witnesses. There is a double standard here. The crimes committed against the women are always crimes committed without witnesses, and if witnesses exist, they are generally equally guilty of the crime. Rape and other violent acts are not crimes committed in the public arena, but rather they are hidden to avoid the consequences for such heinous behavior.
This book, based on the life of a real midwife, was researched and also re-imagined. The novel truly highlights the need for women’s rights and codified laws to protect all citizens equally, regardless of background, gender, race or religion. It is also a story about true devotion and love.