This is one of my favorite authors and by gosh he did not disappoint! Seems as though I experienced every book genre but the author knitted them all together seamlessly. Adelaide will stick with me for years like Mama Ruby has from The Upper Room. From the first page you will be pulled into the story. #lonewoman #netgalley

I’m, unfortunately, a little bummed I didn’t love this book more.

What started out as a compelling read for me ended up completely dissolving at around the 50% mark. The set up was so strong and I was so excited to learn more about this mysterious “monster,” but the story ended up being more about everything else happening in the town and the monster was just pushed to the periphery. The storyline and purpose of each scene were also hard to follow at times, resulting in what felt like a disjointed puzzle.

That said, the writing quality was strong and I could see the author’s skill was well-suited to portray the darker themes that appear in this novel. I will absolutely try more of his work in the future.

Lone Women by Victor LaVelle was a wild, monster-ridden ride. This book can fit into so many subgenres – horror, mystical realism, historical fiction, thriller, mystery, etc. It essentially has two completely different halves. The first ~60% of this book is a slow, atmospheric introduction to Adelaide Henry, parts of her past and the small Montana town that she moves to and homesteads in. The second portion of this book is a fast-paced, thriller that you can’t say too much about without ruining anything. But I will say the way that the author builds this book is magical and awesome.

There are so many things that I love about this book. I loved the first part where the author wrote so lyrically and built a beautiful and menacing scene. I loved the second part of the book where plots just start exploding everywhere and you get a plethora of POVs. This book is horrifying, mysterious and thrilling. The last half of this book flies by and you end up feeling like you have whiplash several times over, but you kind of like the sensation.

I will say that this book is not for everyone. Pay attention to any of the content warnings, to name a few there is racism, murder, mobs, sexism, classism and homophobia. This is ultimately a horror book with quite a lot of gore described, so if that is something that triggers you, please do not read this book. That being said, I loved this book and I think that it is a wonderful read because of all the content warnings I listed above. It delves into so many issues we have as a human race, but does so in such an original way.

Overall, I deeply enjoyed the author’s writing and storytelling. The way that the story was told was original and left me so satisfied. I will definitely be watching for more books by Victor LaVelle and will be checking out his past works.

This book was awesome. I loved that all of the women were so tough and that they were fighting against not only the land and mysterious happenings but also persecution based on gender and ethnicity. Adelaide was a pretty likable character for most of the time, but she became more interesting as we learned about her burden farther. Great writing and a lot to talk about in this novel.

OooOOoooeeeee, this was so much fun!

A lone woman is traveling through the windy plains of Montana, searching for an isolated location where she can "homestead," having just ran from two parents that she left for dead, & traveling with only a mysterious trunk in tow that is inexplicably heavy, and very thoroughly locked.

I really had no idea what I was getting myself into, I just knew I wanted to read it and wow, I was pleasantly, pleasantly surprised. I read LaVelle's other more popular book 'The Changeling,' which I enjoyed, but 'Lone Women' was soOooO much better!!! This was just deliciously demented, and it covered so much ground too, touched on some relevant issues, was set in what I felt was a very interesting timeframe in history. I thoroughly enjoyed this...the tension, the setting, the characters... 5 stars all around.

I've already added everything Lavelle has ever written to my TBR.

I didn’t really like this. I’m glad to see so many positive reviews because it is so unique but it just wasn’t for me.

I did like the writing. It may seem historical fiction but the writing was so accessible. Also, it was way more horror that historical.

I see people say they had to read through to part 3 to figure out what was in the trunk but I thought it was obvious within the first few pages.

Sometimes You Create the Monster

I was unprepared. I picked up the book at the last minute, sadly unfamiliar with the author, but there had been some positive feedback floating around. It came with the horror label attached and I was frankly a little worn out with some recent over-the-top experiences in the genre.

““Wanna fly, you got to give up the **** that weighs you down.”—Toni Morrison, Song of Solomon

“Lone Women” opens with Adelaide burning down her house– along with the corpses of her mother and father. She is a black woman headed alone into the badlands of Montana, aiming to homestead on a piece of property just outside the remote town of Big Sandy. The only thing she is taking with her is a large, heavy trunk… a thing of secrets.

Early on I almost forgot the horror tag. Adelaide is such a compelling figure in a challenging situation there seemed no need to rely on the crutch of a Michael Myers or Freddie Krueger monster. Little by little things start to change, however, and the secret burden Adelaide has been bearing her whole life is uncovered. We are finding monsters– old and new.

She runs across other lone women, women forging lives against the odds in a harsh male-dominated existence, and– although her life has been starkly isolated– she cannot resist the urge to confide in her new companions. These women are not the characters you read about when dusting off journals of our wild wild west. “But that’s only because history is simple. And the past? The past is complicated.”

The author, Victor LaValle, won the Shirley Jackson Award for best novella a few years back. The tone here is reminiscent of atmospheres Shirley Jackson conjured up, vibrations steadily increasing the feeling something is terribly wrong in this world. I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful mix of historical fiction, western folklore, and… horror.

Sometimes you create the monster.

Thank you to One World, Random House, and NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #LoneWomen #OneWorldBooks #RandomHouse #NetGalley

Lone Women was a perfect blend of horror, western, historical fiction and mystery that I didn't know I needed! The short well written chapters made the book very readable (and I just had to know what was in the trunk). I loved the strong women this featured!

Lone Women is unusual, unsettling, and haunting. It's a genre-bending story about a Black woman named Adelaide Henry who leaves her home in California in the 1800's to settle on a claim in the desolate landscape of Montana, carrying with her a past full of secrets and a steamer trunk that cannot be left unattended for suspicious reasons unknown.

This is an atmospheric novel above all else, and I've never read anything quite like it. It's hushed. Suspenseful. Eerie. Vacant. There's a lingering sense of disquiet that permeates from the first page, ushering readers into Adelaide's world at a time when homesteading was starting to take off and women could set out west to make new independent lives for themselves.

I liked the historicism this provided, with me being bestowed with the opportunity to journey along with Adelaide as she braved the harsh conditions of the midwest alone and as she collided with some strange folks along the way. I also liked the women supporting women camaraderie that was both founded and championed, because it proved to be a satisfying foil to the secluded, dangerous-feeling atmosphere the characters abided in.

For me, though, I will say the most propulsive thing about the whole book was waiting to learn what was hidden inside the trunk. That's what gave the story its pulse. That's what gave it a creepy and windswept little heartbeat.

Definitely one you should pick up if you're looking for something different!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Title: Lone Women
By: Victor Lavalle

Red Flags:
Gore, Horrific, Death, Killings

Excerpt:
There are two kinds of people in this world: those who live with shame and those who die from it. On Tuesday, Adelaide Henry would've called herself the former, but by Wednesday she wasn't as sure.

Summary/Review:
Alarmingly, Adelaide Henry leaves her home, with nowhere to go, she boards a train from California for Montana. Dragging her steamer trunk behind her, she gets a wagon to drop her in Big Sandy, Montana. Adelaide becomes a homesteader, and neighbors frequent in the beginning. The rest of the story is to be read, at your own risk. I hate spoilers.

I read this book thinking it was a Historical Fiction, but somehow this author creates a Historical Fiction novel blended with Science Fiction and Horror. It is not for the faint of heart…me! It is not a light, fun read. However, if you are looking for a fast paced, magically horrific weaved storyline, then this book is for you. I may not have preferred the storyline or content, but the author has unique talent. This is why I continued the read, and left a three star review.

Thank you to Victor Lavalle, Random House Publishing Group, and Netgalley for the Advanced Reader Copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

#reluctantreaderreads #Lonewomen
#horrificreads #horrorreads
#netgalley #victorlavalle

It's so difficult to categorize this story because it could fall into so many different genres. Suffice it to say that it was a real page turner that I couldn't stop reading. Kudos to the author for writing a truly unique story that defines being pigeonholed. Read it!

I love stories that are rooted in feminism and transcend genres, and this gave me all of that with short bingeable chapters and approachable yet descriptive writing. It’s a deceptively simple story that was simultaneously entertaining, thrilling, emotional, and thought provoking. The exploration of themes like family, “othering”, loneliness, and racism were expertly fleshed out without ever feeling heavy handed.

I genuinely enjoyed spending time with these characters in this community.

3.5. This is a solidly creepy Western horror, but I would have cut 50-100 pages of the random characters and alternate POVs (which didn't add much for me) and added some more details about Adelaide's experience on her land and what her surroundings looked like. I'm glad I went in not knowing anything about the mysterious contents of the trunk, though; it made the events that unfolded that much more scary.

The nitty-gritty: Historical fiction, horror and well developed characters come together in Victor LaValle's latest, a thoroughly entertaining story that celebrates strong, resourceful women.

Victor LaValle has outdone himself with Lone Women. Wow, I absolutely loved this book! This is the story of a Black woman who, in 1915, leaves her parent’s orchard in California and sets off to become a homesteader in Montana. I was surprised how much I loved the historical aspects of the story, and I was fascinated by Adelaide’s grit and determination to survive in such a harsh climate. Now this is also a horror story, but the horror elements almost take a backseat, so readers who just aren't into horror will probably love this too.

The opening scene is a grisly one. When we first meet Adelaide Henry, she’s preparing to leave her childhood home for good. She’s just lit her house on fire after carefully arranging her parents’ dead bodies in their bed. Adelaide’s plan is to make her way to Montana, where homesteading plots of 320 acres each can be purchased for a song. Adelaide has a big secret, and it’s locked in the old, beat up trunk she’s carrying with her. Why did Adelaide burn down her house? How did her parents die? And what’s in the trunk?

All these questions will be answered as we join her on the long journey from California to Montana. Once Adelaide arrives, she’s dismayed at the state of her new home, a ramshackle cabin outside of the town of Big Sandy. There’s no firewood and very little food, and a harsh winter is on the way. Luckily, she befriends a couple of neighbors, Grace and her son Sam, who help her out with much needed supplies. Little by little, Adelaide meets others who live in Big Sandy, including Mr. and Mrs. Reed, the wealthiest couple in town, and a young cowboy named Matthew Kirby and his uncle Finn.

But Adelaide’s big secret is weighing on her. No matter what, she must make sure the trunk stays locked, and whatever is inside it, stays there. When a family of thieves tries to steal everything she owns, her secret gets out, and Adelaide’s new life suddenly becomes very complicated.

Obviously I can’t tell you what’s in the trunk, that would spoil things. Let’s just say that I absolutely loved the reveal, and later there’s a big twist surrounding the thing in the trunk that made it even better. What I will tell you is that Adelaide calls it her “burden,” a family curse passed down to her now that her parents are dead. It was tough watching her struggle with her emotions—obviously whatever it is has some kind of emotional tie to the Henry family. She’s torn between her desire to be free of her burden and wanting to protect others from it, and it’s a struggle that carries through the entire story until the surprising resolution at the end.

Adelaide is tough, but also vulnerable, and I think that’s why I liked her so much. She has this amazing opportunity to own land as a single Black woman, and she’s determined not to fail. Of course, she runs into all kinds of obstacles, not only the unforgiving Montana winter, but once her secret gets out, prosecution from the other townsfolk. 

One of the more suspenseful story lines revolves around the Mudge family, a woman and her four young sons. After a violent event, one of the sons vows revenge on Adelaide, and I loved how LaValle keeps the tension going for the rest of the story. And speaking of violence, keep in mind the lawlessness of the time. Everyone carries a gun, and vigilante groups of men ban together and call themselves the Stranglers and deliver justice wherever they see fit. Some of the scenes in Lone Women are chilling, and the worst acts of violence don’t even involve the thing in Adelaide’s trunk. There are a few ghostly scenes as well. Adelaide’s dead mother appears by her side now and then to remind her that “A woman is a mule,” a phrase she repeated over and over to Adelaide growing up.

And speaking of women, in particular the lone women in the title, this is such an empowering story. In a time when women barely had any rights, Adelaide and her friends are able to survive in a harsh, male dominated world. I was fascinated by the Homesteading Act that allowed anyone over the age of twenty-one to own land, a piece of American history I’m sorry to say I wasn’t aware of. All Adelaide needs to do to keep her land free and clear is to “prove up” within three years. In other words, she has to produce crops on her land, but once the three years is up, the land is hers for life. Adelaide isn’t the only single woman doing this either. There’s Grace and Sam, as well as a Black woman named Bertie Brown who proved up several years before and now runs a distillery on her property. Bertie’s partner is a Chinese woman named Fiona who has her own interesting backstory. All these successful women who clearly don’t need men to survive are a threat to those men, who unfortunately want to put them in their place.

There are quite a few characters and side plots, which make Lone Women feel a bit busy at times. But LaValle is such a skilled writer that he’s able to make sense of all these story threads and bring them together in the end. He also adds lots of little background details about the characters. For example, Adelaide has an old copy of The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë that her father used to read from every night when she was a child, and despite her complicated feelings about her parents and the family secret, she always thinks back on those times with fondness.

LaValle eventually tells us the story behind the trunk and what really happened the day Adelaide was born, and this sets the stage for an exciting, emotional climax. The ending was almost my favorite part, I absolutely loved how the author wrapped everything up.

Lone Women will most likely be on my Best of 2023 list at the end of the year, it was that good. If you are looking for a unique take on a slice of American history, with a side of horror thrown in for good measure, then this is a must read.

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.

A little horror, a little mystery, a little 1900’s western atmosphere. Some creepy moments definitely stand out, but I just couldn’t get fully invested into this one. Some parts were too slow, several characters confused the plot; it just lacked some cohesiveness.

Thank you to NeltGalley and the publisher, One World, for a copy of this book I’m exchange for an honest review.

Victor LaValle's Lone Women is nothing less than brilliant, a historical/horror novel that delivers readers a succession of surprises. Real surprises.

As Lone Women opens, the novel's central character, Adelaide Henry, is leaving behind the small black farming community in which she was raised, taking with her only a a carefully padlocked, exceptionally heavy trunk. That trunk contains her family's burden: a demon. (The blurbs for the novel include this information, so it doesn't count as a spoiler.) She's been convinced by what she'll soon find is an all-too-good-to-be-true brochure describing homesteading in Montana. The brochure claims winters in Montana are milder than those in the U.S. south, but as one of the new neighbors tells Adelaide, "This land tries to kill us every day."

Adelaide is one of only three Black women in her new, scattered community. People help each other out, not so much from generosity, but from the knowledge they might be facing desperate need at any time. Offer a service to your neighbor; then you can demand help in your turn. There's a certain level of of cross-gender, cross-race acceptance, but it doesn't run deep.

Lone Women simultaneously offers an account of survival in a harsh world and a roller coaster of destruction at the times the trunk comes unlocked. Even if neither horror nor historical fiction are among you favorite reading material, you should give this book a try. Seriously. You'll experience some real surprises.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

I've never read anything quite like Lone Women, and I couldn't put it down! It's rare that a book this moving and thought-provoking is also this much fun to read. I will be enthusiastically recommending this book to a wide variety of readers!

Many thanks for the opportunity to read and review!

Horror, both with a touch of the magical, and also the reality of being a woman, especially in the American West in the early 1900s. Lone Women in their many forms. This novel sucked me in from the opening paragraph, and I was desperate to find out what was in Adelaide's trunk, as well as what would happen. I LOVED the ending - it was perfect in so many ways.

"Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk opens, people around Adelaide start to disappear.

The year is 1915, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, forcing her to flee California in a hellfire rush and make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will become one of the “lone women” taking advantage of the government’s offer of free land for those who can tame it—except that Adelaide isn’t alone. And the secret she’s tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing that will help her survive the harsh territory."

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I'm a little stumped by all the rave reviews for this one. I did love certain elements of it, but overall, I don't get why people loved this book.

Things I did love: diverse characters (WOC, LGBTQ, etc.), the horror element, the surprise fantasy aspect, and the unique historical setting (a Montana homestead in 1915).

Things I did not love: the pacing (the opening was super intriguing, then my interest wasn't piqued again until about 30 percent in), the lack of resolution with some plot points, and the ending. I wasn't completely satisfied with how the story was wrapped up.

The plot and the writer of this book do both seem like things that would be right up my alley. But this book just didn't work in a broader sense for me. I'm hesitant to pick up another title from this writer, even though a lot of people seem to love him.

This is my first title written by this author. The story synopsis is compelling, once you read it, you almost HAVE to pick up the book and read it. You will be extremely glad you did!

The title LONE WOMEN refers to the early 1900's practice of allowing "lone women" to homestead land in the northern United States. Adelaide Henry becomes one of these homesteaders when she arrives in Montana, having left California under suspicious circumstances. She will set up her new home with only a locked trunk, whose mystery contents play a large part as the story unwinds.

Victor Lavalle has taken many threads from many genres and woven them together to get a story that is so much more than historical fiction. As in true life, the story races in sections then slows to let we readers digest what we just read. Each new chapter....they are short and to the point....sets us up for the next surprise. If you find yourself saying WAIT....what just happened, you are among good company. This book is not like any other I've read lately and I can't wait until my friends and family read it!!!