when was the book the frozen river published? Ariel Lawhon’s historical novel was published in the United States on December 5, 2023, by Doubleday. That date refers to the novel’s original U.S. publication, not necessarily the release date of every edition or the date it appeared in another country.
Below, you’ll find how to interpret the publication date, identify the right book and edition, and understand why listings can show different dates. You’ll also get a brief, spoiler-light look at the story’s historical background and a few reliable ways to check a copy’s publishing details.
when was the book the frozen river published?
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon was first published in the United States on December 5, 2023. Doubleday published the novel. If you need one date for a reading list, book report, or general reference, this is the date to use for its original U.S. release.
The wording matters because a book can have more than one publication date. A hardcover, paperback, ebook, audiobook, or international edition may be released on a different schedule. So a bookseller’s date might describe the specific format it sells rather than the novel’s first publication.
The title is also not unique to one work. If you are checking a date, make sure the listing names Ariel Lawhon as the author. That distinguishes this historical novel from other books or media that may use the same or similar title.
Which The Frozen River book is this date for?
The December 5, 2023 date refers to the novel written by American author Ariel Lawhon. It is historical fiction inspired by the life and work of Martha Ballard, an 18th-century midwife who lived in Hallowell, Maine. The book imagines a mystery unfolding in the community she served.
That author detail is the simplest way to avoid confusion. Search results may show a different book with a similar title, a translation, or a listing for another format. Look for the author’s name and the subtitle or description before relying on a date.
Lawhon’s novel is not a modern nonfiction biography of Ballard. It uses a real historical figure and historical records as a foundation, then builds a fictional narrative around events and characters. That distinction helps explain why the book may appear in both historical-fiction recommendations and discussions of Ballard’s real diaries.
Why do book listings show different publication dates?
Booksellers and libraries often record the date for the edition in front of them. A paperback listing, for example, can carry a later date than the first hardcover release. An ebook or audio edition may have its own date as well. None of those dates automatically replaces the original publication date.
There can also be regional differences. Publishers sometimes release a book in one country before another, or issue a local edition under a different imprint. A retailer may display the date relevant to its market, while an international catalog may show a different version.
Finally, catalog records can be updated or imported from different databases. One site might list a format-specific release date, while another shows the original edition. Check the format, publisher, country, and ISBN—the number that identifies a particular edition—before deciding that a listing is incorrect.
| What a listing may describe | What the date means | Best use |
|---|---|---|
| Original U.S. publication | The first U.S. release of the novel: December 5, 2023 | General reference and reading lists |
| A later paperback or other print format | The release of that particular edition | Finding the date for a copy you own or plan to buy |
| An ebook or audiobook | The release date attached to that digital or audio edition | Checking format availability or a specific catalog record |
| An edition published in another country | The local release date and publisher’s edition | Researching a regional edition or translation |
Practical rule: use December 5, 2023 when someone asks when the novel first came out in the United States. Use the edition’s own listing when the question is about a particular paperback, ebook, audiobook, or international copy.
How to verify the date for your copy
If you have a physical copy, check its copyright page. This page is usually on the back of the title page, near the beginning of the book. It may give the copyright year, publisher, edition information, and printing details. These details can help identify the version in your hands.
- Confirm the author. Make sure the book is credited to Ariel Lawhon.
- Identify the format. Note whether your copy is hardcover, paperback, ebook, or audiobook.
- Look for the publisher and ISBN. The ISBN helps distinguish one edition from another.
- Compare like with like. Check the date for the same format and region, not just any result with the same title.
- Use the first-release date when asked about the novel. For the U.S. original release, that date is December 5, 2023.
A copyright year is not always the same as a publication date. Copyright protects the work, while a publication date records when a particular edition was released or issued. If those details differ, the date attached to the edition or a dependable publisher or library record is more useful for identifying its release.
For a school assignment, cite the edition you actually read. Its title page and copyright page provide the details for a citation. If the assignment asks when the novel was first published, state the original U.S. date separately so it is not confused with the date of your copy.
What is The Frozen River about?
The novel centers on Martha Ballard, a midwife living in Maine in 1789. When a man is found dead in a frozen river, the death raises questions in the small community. Ballard’s work brings her into close contact with families and their private troubles, and her records become important as she tries to understand what happened.
Lawhon combines a historical setting with a crime mystery and a focus on women’s lives. The winter landscape and the river are part of the story’s atmosphere, but the plot also turns on social power, community judgment, and whose account is believed. It is a work of fiction, not a claim that every scene occurred exactly as written.
The premise draws attention to a real woman whose surviving diary has made her life unusually visible to later readers. That historical connection gives the story a strong sense of place and period. It also makes the distinction between the novel and the historical record especially useful for readers who want to learn more about Ballard.
Who was Martha Ballard?
Martha Ballard was a midwife in the Kennebec River area of Maine in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. In addition to attending births and caring for people in her community, she kept a diary that recorded daily work, visits, weather, family matters, and local events.
Her diary is valuable because it preserves details about ordinary life that formal public records often leave out. It gives historians evidence about women’s work, health care, household economies, and relationships in the region. The record is not a modern medical chart or a complete account of every part of her life, but it offers a rare view from one person’s daily notes.
Lawhon’s novel uses Ballard’s historical presence as inspiration. Readers should not treat the novel’s dialogue, scenes, or mystery plot as direct transcriptions from the diary. A useful approach is to enjoy the book as historical fiction, then consult historical sources separately if you want to know which details are documented.
Is the novel based on a true story?
It is inspired by a real person and historical material, but it is a novel. Martha Ballard existed, lived in Maine, practiced as a midwife, and kept a diary. The book’s narrative brings those real elements into a crafted story, including dramatized events and imagined scenes.
Historical fiction often fills gaps that records cannot answer. A diary may preserve what a writer chose to note, but it cannot provide every conversation, motive, or private thought. An author can use that limited evidence to create a plausible story while making choices that serve the plot.
Keep that distinction in mind if you quote or summarize the book. It is accurate to say the novel is inspired by Martha Ballard and her historical world. It would be misleading to present every character interaction or plot event as a verified historical fact unless a separate source supports it.
How the book’s date relates to its historical setting
The novel’s original U.S. publication date is in 2023, while its story is set in 1789. Those dates answer different questions: one tells you when readers could first buy the book in the United States, and the other tells you when the fictional events take place.
The distinction is easy to lose when a book is described as historical fiction. A date in a summary might refer to the setting, a real person’s lifetime, the publication of the book, or a later edition. Check the wording around the date to see which meaning is intended.
If you are preparing a timeline, label each date clearly. For example, write “U.S. publication: December 5, 2023” and “story setting: 1789.” That simple labeling prevents a publication date from being mistaken for a historical event date.
What to know before choosing an edition
If you only need to read the story, choose the format that suits your habits and budget. If you need to cite the book, match the edition details to the copy you use. An ISBN is especially helpful because two editions with the same title and author can have different identifiers and publication information.
Retail pages can change as sellers add formats or replace older listings. A page may combine reviews or descriptions from several versions, while the publication date applies to only one. Read the format label and edition details rather than assuming every date on the page refers to the same book.
For library research, a catalog record can identify the publisher, format, and edition. For a purchase, the seller’s listing is useful for the item currently offered, but it may not be the best source for the first publication date. If you see conflicting dates, compare the records’ ISBNs and publication regions first.
Common date mix-ups to avoid
- Confusing the setting with the release: The story takes place in 1789; the U.S. novel was published in 2023.
- Using a later-format date as the original date: A paperback or audio edition may have its own release information.
- Assuming all countries share one release date: Regional editions can appear on different schedules.
- Mixing up the author: Confirm Ariel Lawhon’s name before using a date found in search results.
- Treating fiction as a historical document: The real Martha Ballard and her diary inspired the book, but the novel includes fictional storytelling.
One frequent mistake is treating the year printed on a copyright page as proof that every version was released that year. Copyright information, printing information, and edition publication information can refer to different things. For a quick general answer, the original U.S. release date remains December 5, 2023; for a specific copy, check its edition record.
when was the book the frozen river published? Ariel Lawhon’s novel first appeared in the United States on December 5, 2023, from Doubleday. Dates shown for other formats or countries may differ because they describe separate editions.
For a citation or a book report, check the copyright page and record the format you read. If you are asked for the novel’s original U.S. publication date, use December 5, 2023.