Ariel Lawhon

Martha Ballard, a midwife and mother, is asked to view a body cut out of the frozen river. She knows the victim and is happy he is dead but his death looks suspiciously like he was hung before being thrown into the frozen river. Thus begins our mystery and a dive into the poor justice system of the time concerning rape, property rights and the general problems of a small community struggling to deal with right and wrong. As I listened to this very good audio version I did get confused with the many characters, their bias, alibi, and relationships. I enjoyed the description of life in 1789, courtship and marriage, and details of midwifery. Recommend.… (more)