If You Like The Frozen River…
Bestseller The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (2023) is a beautifully written historical murder mystery. The story is based on a real person, Martha Ballard, a midwife in Maine in the 1700s. When a man is found drowned in the frozen river in the winter of 1789, Ballard is called upon to examine the body and realizes that he has been murdered. As a culprit is named, a trial approaches, and the truth about abuse and rape in the town begins to surface. Ballard tries to make sure the truth sees the light of day while protecting those in her charge.
The book has so much to offer to fans of great writing, mysteries, court procedurals, and historical fiction. Below are other books that focus on history, mysteries, and midwives.
The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman (1995)
This kidlit book won the Newbery Medal in 1996. In medieval Europe, Jane Sharp, the local midwife, takes a homeless orphan on as an apprentice but is hesitant to teach her too much for fear that she will lose her livelihood. The apprentice learns what she can and is called into service with mixed outcomes. She struggles to find her path and place in the world.
Call the Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times by Jennifer Worth (2002)
This memoir is the basis for the immensely popular TV series by the same name. While the series has gone far beyond Worth’s original material, this book focuses on the culture shock she experienced providing care to the people of the East End of London in post-War England.
Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James (2011)
Master mystery writer P.D. James enters the world of Jane Austen by bringing news of a murder in Elizabeth and Darcy’s manor home — Lydia’s husband Wickham has been killed. James has loads of fun animating Austen’s characters while presenting a thoroughly enjoyable mystery.
Something Worth Doing by Jane Kirkpatrick (2020)
This historical fiction novel follows the life of Abigail Scott Duniway, an early suffragette. As she tries to make a life that works for her — fighting for rights for women, writing, and having a family — she also deals with the twin feelings of guilt and entrapment that mothers can experience. If she had been less of an activist, would her children have been better off? she wonders.
The Bangalore Detectives Club series by Harini Nagendra (started 2022)
Kaveri is a newlywed in 1920s Bangalore. She secretly continues her studies in mathematics and tries to improve her cooking through lessons from a friendly and nosey neighbor. But life is a little dull until a murder upsets a dinner party at the club. Though expected to keep her mind on domestic affairs, Kaveri is determined to solve the mystery. With the help of unexpected companions and a friendly policeman, she gets to the bottom of the case. The beginning of a series!