Back in my university days, I took a seminar course on the history of midwifery (my minor was history and I attended a school that offered a lot of women-focused classes – shoutout to MSVU!) where I first learned of Martha Ballard and Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s excellent analysis of Ballard’s diary. So when I heard of The Frozen River, a novel based on Ballard’s life, I knew I wanted to read it. And I did enjoy it, although I found it anachronistic in some of the language and behavior of Ballard and the other characters, and her husband was portrayed as a little too perfect. I’m glad I read it, and that Martha (and Ulrich) are getting attention, but I likely won’t seek out more from this author.