The Frozen River: A GMA Book Club Pick

In the quiet of 1789 Maine, a chilling discovery on the frozen Kennebec River—a man entombed in ice—demands answers. Martha Ballard, a respected midwife and healer, is called to examine the body, her diary a meticulous record of the community's joys and sorrows, births and deaths.

Months prior, Martha documented an alleged rape involving two prominent town gentlemen. Now, one of them is found dead. When a local physician dismisses the death as an accident, Martha finds herself compelled to uncover the truth behind the shocking murder. As winter deepens and whispers turn to prejudice, Martha's investigation intensifies, placing her diary—and potentially her loved ones—at the center of a growing scandal.

This gripping historical mystery, a New York Times bestseller and GMA Book Club Pick, introduces an unsung heroine. Martha Ballard refused to be silenced in a time when women's voices were rarely heard. The Frozen River is a tense, layered, and ultimately tender story of a remarkable woman who carved her own legacy into American history.