The a novel Lawhon, Ariel creator author text Historical fiction Large type books large print books. Large print books. Detective and mystery fiction. Historical fiction. Biographical fiction. Novels. nyu 2023 2023 First large print edition monographic eng 670 pages (large print) : map ; 24 cm "A gripping historical mystery based on the real-life diary entries of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine 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. Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie." -- adult Ariel Lawhon n-us-me Ballard, Martha 1735-1812 Fiction Midwives Maine Fiction Murder Investigation Maine Fiction Large type books large print books Kennebec River Valley (Me.) Social life and customs 18th century Fiction 9780593793251 0593793250 Random House Inc, Attn Order Entry 400 Hahn rd, Westminster, MD, USA, 21157 231017 20240207113833.0 1404049866