By: Ariel Lawhon
In Maine 1789, Martha Ballard, a midwife, is summoned to look over the body of a man that was found under the ice in a river frozen over. She is to examine the body and the cause of death. She has a lot of knowledge about what occurs in the town, include a rape that occurred by two respected men, one of which is now dead. In her diary, she records all. Now her diary is used as part of the trial. She claims the cause of death is murder, and a doctor says accident. So she investigates on her own.
I know this book is highly acclaimed and many have loved it. I did not. I was bored out of my mind reading this book. There were some really interesting parts – the trial for instance, but the interesting parts were very far and few between. The flashbacks didn’t really advance the story at all.
This book is way too long for what it is. There is so much in here that doesn’t need to be in here. However, it does highlight what it was like for women during that time and how awful it was. How women aren’t believed. Reading it now, during 2025, you can appreciate the scientific advances that have come about. Other than the few moments of interesting scenes and the appreciation I feel for the advances, this book just did nothing for me.
However, so many have loved this, so clearly I’m in the minority here. Maybe these types of books just aren’t for me.
Publish Date: December 5, 2023
Find the book here.
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