This novel is a complex blend of genres and themes. It is a Western, therefore there are the typical Western elements of cowboys and outlaws in a rugged setting, but this book sets itself apart in that it puts a twist on the genre by centering it’s story around women who find themselves in this environment without the accompaniment of a man. To further this deviation, the main characters of this novel are women who travel across the state of Montana, sometimes even across the country, to stake claims in land plots with the hopes of becoming a landowner. This becomes an even more interesting element of the construction of this novel after reading the author’s note and discovering that this was an actual part of history. In the early part of the 20th century women traveled alone to stake claims in land offered by federal and local governments. Who knew?

Meanwhile, this novel also layers on constant themes about family and shame that drive the characters to make certain decisions throughout the book. From the main character to the side characters to the villain to side villains, everyone has duty to family and is dealing with some sort of familial shame. This is most apparent in the main character of Adelaide Henry however.

Adelaide, Adelaide, dear Adelaide, you are me. I am you. From the start, the reader doesn’t know what to make of Adelaide. Is she a murderer? Is she a harbor? Is she a kidnapper? Whatever she is, she is sympathetic. The author does a great job of keeping you on your toes trying to figure out what exactly is going on with Adelaide. (Insert Se7en movie gif here.) Adelaide, what’s in the trunk??? Why are you running? I read this entire book to answer that question. This is where the horror elements come in.

The horror tones of this book are set from the start with the very first page of the first chapter. While reading I could see the landscape of the homestead, the dark wooden two-story farmhouse surrounded by rows of crops in sunny California, except the air is the hazy gray of morning, the crops are the color of soot, and the wooden farmhouse looks worn down with age and years of secrets. This gray, hazy atmosphere never changes. In fact, it gets even more gray as the setting changes to Big Sandy, Montana and its surrounding towns. Snow can do that to a setting, increase the feeling of isolation. Imagine all that gray on a mountain of white snow.

The horror elements are further pushed along by the plot of the novel. We see Adelaide, the trunk, the other “Lone Women” in the city of Big Sandy, Grace, Bertie, and Fiona, and even little Sam deal with threats both human and supernatural, female and male, environmental and social. There’s a little of everything for everyone.

This is actually the one element of the novel that I take issue with. While I thoroughly enjoyed the plot of the story as well as the pacing. I do wish it were more focused on just a few of the main and side characters instead of telling the story from nearly every character with a semblance of importance in the book.

I also wish there was a little more action in the climax. There was one scene in particular that I wanted to read all the gory details about. I waited for it. I hoped for it. It didn’t happen, and I felt robbed.

Other than that, it is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. I also really appreciated the description of and internal dialogue for what it’s like to be an African American woman in the situations Adelaide found herself in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing the ARC for this review. I thoroughly appreciate it.

Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Lone Women by Victor LaValle is a book of many genres. It’s womens fiction, historical fiction, thriller, mystery, horror, suspense, and some magic. I enjoyed this mixture very much.


Story Recap:
Lone Women refers to the practice of single women going to Montana to homestead. In this book, we meet Adelaide Henry, a lone woman who must leave California to hide from the secrets that took her parents. She rushes off to Montana with her steamer trunk of troubles to start a homestead in 1915.

Adelines’s steamer trunk stays locked all the time because when she opens it, people start to disappear.

My Thoughts:
Lone Women is a sweeping saga set in the early 1900s in Montana. I really enjoyed this story. I’m not one to enjoy horror, but the horror element wasn’t strong so I was fine with it. I loved all the characters and give the author credit for writing such unusual and compelling characters.

The setting was perfect for the story. The untamed territory of Montana in a small town where anything can happen helps to build the suspense of this story. The story of single lone women homesteading is one I haven’t heard before and I enjoyed learning more about them.

Victor LaValle writes a beautiful, atmospheric tale of strength, determination, cruelty, vengeance, and terrifying secrets. Although this is a dark story, it has its uplifting moments that gave it the balance that I like.

Recommendation:
I highly recommend Lone Women to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really love anything weird. Anything that makes you ask (in the best way) “what the hell did I just read?” come the end. See: Catriona Ward’s books, The Book of Accidents, etc. This one definitely delivered.

There’s horror, but it’s more insidious than in-your-face jump scares. It creeps up on you, making you want to constantly look over Adelaide’s shoulder for her. I loved it and felt like the payoff/ending was worth it.

And while it’s gothic, suspenseful, and outright scary at times, it’s also rounded out by great character development, interesting side characters that Adelaide meets along the way, and an exceptional story of women’s empowerment underscoring it all.

Set in the early 1900s in Montana, the story of Adelaide Henry, a woman alone but hauling a terrible secret with her is mesmerizing and well written. Covering multi genres, this is a well written book that is well worth the read, recommended!

I picked up this book because of how intriguing the blurb was and i was so surprised with how much I loved it! I finished it and honestly thought “wtf did I just read”. it was wild, weird, unique story in the best possible way. Think historical fiction meets magical realism meets horror with some supernatural elements in the middle of nowhere Montana.

The story starts off with a bang and I was hooked from the first line: Adelaide's parents are dead and before people find them, she burns down her family home in California and flees for Montana. Already, we’ve got major thriller vibes and tons of questions: Did Adelaide murder her parents? Why? What's in the really heavy trunk that she's traveling with? This tense atmosphere and air of mystery are really well done throughout the book, even after we find out what’s in the trunk.

The book is split into 3 parts and in part 1, Adelaide feels pretty isolated, both physically and emotionally as she journeys to and settles into her new home in Montana. In part 2, the pace slows down a bit as we meet newer characters and Adelaide learns to let some of them in but there are some interesting developments and twists that keep you engrossed.

Things ramp back up in part 3, as Adelaide is forced to face horrors from multiple sources — some "real," some supernatural, and some psychological. Themes of racism, sexism, identity, and loss of family also come into play which made for a uniquely complex story.

By the end, Lone Women delivers a powerful message about family (both found and blood), community, resilience, and the lengths women (especially Black women) went to to find a place in the world, despite the barriers they faced.

The only reason I took a star off was because I wanted the story to delve a little bit deeper into the side characters and their histories and motivations. Overall, still a great read though!

TL;DR: This quick and easy read won’t be for everyone but if you enjoy the idea of a genre-bending story with lots of plot twists that’s equal parts historical fiction, magical realism, western, and horror/thriller… give this a shot! If you do pick it up, get ready for an unexpected, wild ride.

Oooh this one was good. So eerie and creepy! I couldn't put it down. Loved the characters and the setting of the novel. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House for the ARC!

🎉🎉HAPPY PUB DAY!!!🎉🎉

Many thanks to partner, @oneworldbooks for this #gifted review copy.

This genre-bending book was unlike anything I've ever read. With a mix of fantasy, horror, western, and historical elements, I was intrigued by this vivid story from the very first tense scene.

😱I'll admit, I just don't do horror, so suffice it to say, when the publisher reached out to me, this was the last thing I expected. Maybe I should've paid greater attention to the synopsis (swipe left to read it⬅️), but a part of me is glad I experienced such an out-of-the-ordinary novel. While this was definitely a far reach for me, it offered me an opportunity to step outside my self-imposed box. And no surprise, fantasy is not my bag either, but in this case, I was grateful for it - it made the story easier for my wimpy self to brave.

I will say - there is just something about Victor LaValle's writing. It is compelling from beginning to end, and he had me wanting to know where this wild narrative would land. I appreciated the level of inclusion in this novel and definitely rooted for the strong women.

I giggled at the instances of modern language in the early 1900s, but it didn't detract from the story since so much of it was far-fetched anyway. I suppose all of the anomalous elements added to the appeal. Then, there were these truly believable aspects to the novel, too. There was certainly a deeper meaning behind the surface story with several symbolic elements.

So if you're looking for something wildly unique, with a strong allegorical appeal, pick this one up TODAY!

"Lone Women" by Victor LaValle has been one of the most buzzed about titles for years before its release, with the author sharing very interesting images that came up in his research and piquing the interest of horror readers everywhere. The novel starts off with a woman, Adelaide Henry, who is pouring gasoline all over her family's farmhouse, and then onto the second floor. The year is 1915, and the author establishes that there are 27 Black farming families in California's Lucerne Valley. While there is beginning to be more academic scholarship into Black life in the Western parts of the United States, including California, in the 1800s and early 1900s, there isn't much fiction--thankfully, LaValle's book changes that. Fans who loved the film "The Harder They Fall" (2021) starring Idris Elba, Regina King, Lakeith Stanfield, and so many other talented performers, will love the vibe of "Lone Women" right off the bat. Things are not pretty--the African Society put out a call for more Black communities to move to Southern California after the Civil War. Adelaide's family were from Arkansas prior to moving to California, something the federal government called 'homesteading.'

She refers to having done such horrible things in the past day that she doesn't feel as though she deserves to live any longer, hence the setting the house on fire. With a man named Mr. Cole, she makes her escape no longer just a farmer's daughter, but a fugitive. As far as first chapters and story openings go, this is one of the absolute best I have ever read. It does everything a good opening should do, and makes it so that the reader has no other choice but to turn the page.

Adelaide knows Mr. Cole's secrets and seems determined to put an end to him, but she also needs him to make her escape, which puts her in a precarious position. Nonetheless, she has a goal, to get to Montana, and settle in a small town where she can live on the land to make it habitable, and to cultivate crops, then the land can be hers forever. This would have been a very big deal for African-Americans who were regularly denied ownership of property across the country.

As the narrative presses on and Adelaide makes a new life for herself in Montana, she has to navigate being one of the few people of colour in a mostly white area, for one. She has to contend with environmental factors and a new climate. One of her new neighbours, the Prices, are a mother and son. It doesn't take long for them to exhaust Adelaide. She becomes something of a local celebrity to cowboys, sheepherders, and a few others. All the while, there's rumbling and growling from her trunk, and the reader is dying to find out what's inside. When readers do find out, it's surprising and continues to become even more shocking as the novel goes on. The revelations explain so much yet also raise as many questions as they answer. Without going into spoiler territory, I will say it is fascinating and extremely painful to see the intersection of metaphors for disability in this part, and another revelation toward the end. It's not surprising, but it's harrowing and disturbing.

When she meets Bertie Brown, the only other Black woman in all of Chouteau County, things get even more interesting. There are other characters of colour, including Native Americans and those of Chinese descent in addition to the white characters, which rounds out the cast.

Rich in historical detail and horror, and definitely a huge appeal for fans of Weird Westerns as well as historical horror, "Lone Women" is a savoury, page-turning, compelling novel that will have readers angling for more.

LONE WOMEN by victor.lavalle is a sweeping historical dark fantasy/horror set in the desolate, lonely Montana wilderness. A western novel in its very own right, this is a story of perseverance, grit, vulnerability and trust. Thank you to @netgalley, the author and the publishers, @randomhouse and @oneworldbooks for the e-ARC.

The story begins when Adelaide Henry lights a match and throws it on her parents bed with their day old corpses lying beneath the sheets. The omniscient narrator implies she has something to do with their deaths but that they were hiding a dark, deep secret. Adelaide then leaves her California home to travel by boat to Seattle and then by rail to Montana - following the dream of being a 'lone woman' out in Montana's homesteading program, all along dragging behind her an incredibly heavy and mysterious steamer trunk. After arriving in Big Sandy, Montana Adelaide starts to make a life for herself, making friends, working the land - until things start to go horribly awry...

LaValle is a master at character development and really makes you fall in love with his characters and root hard for them. He even tugs at your heart strings a bit when it comes to the "villains" of the story which makes your feelings real complicated. Even the vast, cold and windy landscape of the Anne Bronte book Adelaide was reading matched the vibe of the world she was experiencing. He also did a fantastic job of weaving in all kinds of little known history about this era of early 1900s Montana including the fact that it was one of the only areas in the old west where women and especially black women were able to stake their own claims.

The story is written in short chapters which propel you along and includes some (what sounded to me like) slightly anachronistic swearing that I actually loved. I have not even touched the tip of the iceberg in this story because the dark secrets that are revealed throughout this book are absolutely stellar and I want you to experience then all on your own!

If you like to unravel secrets, read about lesser known history, or enjoy stories about strong women, this will be your jam!

A dark family secret killed Adelaide Henry's parents and forced her to flee California to the wilds of Montana as a homesteader in 1915. An individual, even a lone woman, could stake a claim, and Adelaide hopes that the empty space can hide the secret. She carries a huge steamer trunk everywhere she goes, but that deadly secret might be the only thing keeping her alive.

While I don't often read Westerns, this novel is a horror story and I love those. As a Black woman in the West at the turn of the century, Adelaide has to carry herself a little differently. She doubts that neighbors are willing to be friends, but Montana is wild and difficult to navigate. Adelaide has the locked trunk with her at all times, and people think it's stuffed with valuable items. It's a while before we meet the demon her family hid, a creature that appeared at the same time Adelaide was born. She tries to create a life in the wilderness, but not all people are as willing to put in the hard work. She's not the only lone woman in the area, and not even the only Black woman, which helps normalize her presence a bit.

As much as it felt like a story about Adelaide starting over, she really didn't. She spoke to the ghost of her mother, she carried the guilt of her monster, the past she never tried to change. Her friends were the other odd women in town, the ones that didn't try to conform or blend in. In that way, the horror wasn't really in the monster that killed those who attacked it, but those "ordinary" people who were vicious to anyone who dared disagree with them. In the end, finding someone who accepted the difference was more important than anything else. I loved how everything came together at the end of the book, and couldn't stop reading until the last page.

Such an interesting story. Lone women trying to homestead on the Montana prairies. Hard, hard life and no telling where danger will come from. The horror itself didn't really seem real, but still a solid read.

Oh wow!! This really exceeded my expectation. It was hard to put down and I loved how it felt like a mix of multiple genres. I also really enjoyed the authors writing style.

Lone Women is an excellent historical horror novel. The story follows Adelaide, a black woman in the early 1910's, who is leaving her home in California to make a homestead in Montana. The only thing that Adelaide takes with her is a bit of money and a trunk that she is very protective over.

In the early 1900's America passed the Homestead Act which allowed a head of household to claim land which I looked up and roughly 12 percent of the people who did so were women. I found this bit of history to be an interesting backdrop to the story. LaValle's masterful use of language made the setting so vivid and I love how seamlessly he weaved the historical aspects with the plot.

I have recommended this book to so many people since reading it last month and every time I say please just read it and let it unfold before you. When the book started I thought it was going one way and then as the story started evolving my idea of what kind of horror this was constantly shifted. And then when I finally realized what sub genre this book fits into I was blown away and amazed. There is so much to love about this book but for me the slow unraveling of what type of horror this is was an incredible experience.

This is my second time reading LaValle and I want to read everything he has ever written. His stories are so unique and his use of language is stunning. Lone Women is very character focused in the beginning and builds up to the action which might not be everyone's cup of tea but it was definitely something that I loved. This book is so good in so many different ways and I will always remember what a great time I had reading it.

Adelaide Henry left the only home she had ever known, carrying a burden heavier than the trunk that accompanies her. She purchases a homesteader claim in remote Montana, hoping to find a safe place. But how can she ever be safe when her troubles have come along with her?

Lone Women is an imaginative novel not easily categorized as just mere historical fiction. LaValle’s story feels mythical and dramatic, as much a tall tale as an entry in the American history textbook. On the surface, it’s about an African American woman who travels to the last frontier of America at the time of the First World War. People go West to reinvent themselves, and bring their emotional baggage, trauma and toxicity with them. In the case of Adelaide, LaValle uses metaphor in a poetic and powerful way. Themes of family legacy, loyalty, and the complicated relations between parent and child, along with the scars they leave on the psyche, resonate heavily in this short novel. LaValle’s writing is poetic and hypnotic, saying a lot with few words. He establishes his characters with spare but evocative language, allowing scenes to unfold in a way that forces readers to reevaluate their initial expectations of those characters. Lone Women transports readers into a place where the unbelievable is reality and one’s perceptions will be challenged around every corner. Lone Women delivers powerful insights into the nature of humanity along with a fascinating story.

4.5 stars.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Adelaide Henry is unconventional, unique, peculiar woman, strong, tall, trapped. In 31, raised like a mule more than a human, deciding to take her own fate into her hands. Her life completely changed at the day she put fire her family farmhouse in Redondo, where her parents Glenville and Eleanor Henry’s corpses left behind.

Adelaide heads to Montana for free land in hope to rebuild her life. She struggles with the weather and on her way to her new homestead she runs into a woman with four blind sons. The book gives you the eerie gothic horror vibe. Adelaide cares with her to her new home a travel chest with all of her regrets and will eventual be her undoing.

This book was really good story it gives you everything you need if you are a historical fiction lover then depiction of the early 19th century Montana with homesteading was accurate. If you are a fan of horror the steam trunk will keep you flipping the pages. There are strong women characters who are trying to survive in Montana and one thing they do well is support each other. oh did I mention Adelaide was one of very few African American women in the territory.

All the hype about this book is real it is going to be one of the best reads of the year. There are so many amazing women in this story. It was not roses and sunshine for these women they had to find their place in a place that is harsh and not made for women to be alone.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for a free copy of Lone Women for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

It’s 1915 in the American West. Adelaide Henry flees California after her parents are killed. She packs a heavy steamer trunk filled with a horrifying mystery and heads toward Montana. There she tries her hand as a homesteader, aiming to meet the challenge of proving up to own her land, but she’s met with hard times caused by more than just being a lone black woman taking on the harsh Montana landscape - when her steamer trunk opens, people go missing.

I’m really widening my bookish horizons this year by trying out new genres. I requested this book because I don’t usually read historical fiction and wanted to give it a go. I thought this would ease me into it because it has elements of horror, the paranormal, and a western vibe which I really enjoy. It’s also written by an author I’ve been interested in reading so it’s a win win all the way around. I very much enjoyed this book, especially the Montana setting and the writing; it really sucks you in.

Quote:
“This land is trying to kill every single one of us.”

Thoughts:
This was my first LaValle book (def not my last) and I really enjoyed and welcomed the magical suspense the book delivered. The story takes place in Big Sandy, Montana in 1915 after Adelaide Henry has to leave her hometown and relocates there after a tragedy. We see themes of survival, sisterhood and also racism/prejudice. An intriguing detail is that Adelaide always has a streamer trunk that contains a secret involving her past which we come to learn as the story continues (the way I turned pages to figure out this secret!). I appreciated how the stories/history of lone women were depicted, which helped me learn that there were actually many women homesteaders who didn’t need a man to co-sign for their tracts of land! 💪🏼
There are def monster vibes and action in this story which I enjoyed!!

▪️REVIEW▪️

The Lone Women ~ Victor LaValle

▪️QUICK TAKE:
* Genre: horror
* Pages: 282
* Pub Date: March 28, 2023
* Gist: suspense, horror, and the supernatural - all on the Western front

Adelaide Henry has just left her home for the Montana frontier, prepared to take advantage of the governments offer for free land to those who find a way to survive on it. She has little else but a large locked trunk that holds a horrific secret.

As Adelaide settles in, she makes the acquaintance of several cowboys, outlaws, and thieves but finds camaraderie with the “lone women” - Grace, Bertie, and Fiona. Together, these outsiders find strength in their togetherness despite being deemed outcasts and use this strength to temper the demon-like secret that makes it was out into the unforgiving wilderness.

I’m saying it now - if Jordan Peele doesn’t adapt this into a screenplay and turn it into a wild, crazy, horror western then what are we really doing here? This was a mind-bending ride in the most unassuming way possible - LaValle writes the horrific in a really simple way. Nothing is revealed too soon but just enough details are dropped to leave the reader giddy with the unfolding plot.

Modern talking points dot the western frontier of old. Even the genres bend as you’re left wondering what you’re reading - horror, western, historical fiction, female empowerment. Super impressed with this one - just wowed with LaValle’s talent as a storyteller. It’s a must for me but to enjoy it as much as I did you really need to subscribe and suspend to everything presented to you on the page.

This was my first time reading Victor LaValle’s work. And what a read it is. The premise of the novel, Adelaide Henry is a young woman who relocates from California to Montana in the 1910’s. She carries a huge, mysterious trunk with her. When the contents of the trunk are unveiled, the town people react in shocking ways.

This is a multi genre book. There are elements of literary fiction, fantasy and horror in the book. I quickly became engrossed in the writing. I was also questioning the choices of the main character. Over the course of the novel, the reasoning was revealed.

I enjoyed the ride this novel took me on. I also want to read more of the author’s work after finishing the novel. Readers who appreciate books that bend genres, will enjoy this one.

I was sent a digital copy of this book by the publisher, One World via Netgalley.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle was a surprise, horrific delight! I went in pretty blind reading this and I think it only enhanced the experience of this new release. The early 1900s, a single Black woman with a dangerous secret, and the American frontier? This is no walk through the prairie. Continue reading to get my take on Lone Women.

Horror
I’m telling you I was invested in that trunk initially for all the wrong reasons. In typical fashion, from when I read the synopsis to then reading the book, I took that time to completely forget the content of that synopsis. Thus I’m sitting here being like, why won’t people help her move her heavy trunk? She’s moving to a different state and has a whole lot of crap in that trunk. As a person who moved frequently in college and grad school, I can relate. BUT DANG... when that trunk has its reveal, I was... surprised to say the least.

I have not read anything by Victor LaValle before, so I was not ready for the cause of Adelaide’s current and past misfortunes. LaValle did an amazing job at just slightly hinting at it from page one and dragged us along until the things that go bump in the night made their way into the light. I can also say I did not guess the twist/reveal nor was it so outlandish that I lost interest. Instead, what this did was create some mistrust in our main narrator. This is always a fun device to encounter!

Historical Fiction
I always appreciate authors who know their history and explore those silent histories we often do not hear of. Typically when we think of the wild west and frontiers, we think of cowboy movies and white families making their lives work in an unforgiving place. Other characters are tangential. Well, that is due in part to the fact that that is what is often depicted in books, movies, and tv shows. LaValle dives into the lives of the minority and disenfranchised women who were able to carve out lives for themselves in the frontier of America at this time period.

Overall
I really enjoyed Lone Women. It gives an important look into the experiences (in addition to traumatic horror-fabricated ones) of women like Adelaide in the American frontier. All the characters are well developed, the story’s pacing is steady, and it continues to surprise you with the unexpected. If you get the chance, be sure to read a copy of Lone Women by Victor LaValle.