Not quite sure what to do with this one. The premise seemed to be really interesting at first-a young woman flees her disgraced past to settle as a lone woman in Montana in the early 1900s. However, the trunk she is carrying with her is proof that she can’t leave her past behind forever as it harbors the secrets that she is trying to leave behind.
For those expecting traditional horror, this is not it. This book reads more like a historical fantasy if anything. The first half is strong and lured me in, but the last half faltered. The twists lavalle tried to employ in the last half just didn’t work and seemed unnecessary at times. The character development was lacking somewhat. The setting of the early 1900s Montana worked well for me though and the first half definitely showed the promise and potential. Lavalle has always been a mixed bag for me and this continues the streak.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In Victor LaValle’s “Lone Women”, Adelaide Henry leaves her family’s California farm in disgrace, lugging her violent burden in a steamer trunk. She settles as a “lone woman” homesteader in rural Montana, hoping to shield the world from her secret—but she can’t keep her secret for long.

The premise of this book is fascinating, and I really enjoyed the historical aspect of the plot as well as the rich setting. The narrative was creative and compelling, but the writing style and head-hopping kept me at an emotional distance from the main characters. Additionally, after a semi-slow start, the book began to take left turn after left turn, leaving me reeling at times. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I couldn’t fully connect with it.

LONE WOMEN
Victor Lavelle

LONE WOMEN starts blazing fast and doesn’t ever slow down. It’s a moving train you’ve jumped on without knowing and it’s going fast.

It stars Adelaide a woman born with a burden too heavy to carry. But that’s exactly what she does as she sets off from California to Montana in 1914 to stake her claim and start a new life, amongst other things.

She is just one of many homesteaders coming to Montana to settle and the rugged environment is a sharpening stone for all that decide to do so. Adelaide is Black, has secrets to keep buried, and rides alone. One of those things alone would be tough but all three combine to make Adelaide’s plight harder than most.

It’s hard to explain what happens when you open the pages of a really good book. But it just feels different, doesn’t it?

And it didn’t take me much time at all to notice and appreciate the talent that Victor Lavelle put forth in this novel. The writing is thoughtful, and the themes presented within the text are evolutions ahead of other horror books on the market.

A horrifying tale, captivating and poetic, in well under 300 pages. I loved my time in the new frontier with Lavelle.

LONE WOMEN comes out later this month on March 28, 2023. It is available now as a Book of the Month choice and I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World for the advanced copy!

LONE WOMEN…⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lone Women was a mixed bag for me. I loved the early 20th-century Montana setting. The cast of characters was unique and brought a refreshing view of homesteading, particularly by single women. But the story's "locked in the trunk" theme fell flat for me. I don't want to give spoilers, but the reveal lacked context or a backstory. Yes, LaValle describes what's in the trunk and how it got there, but there is no compelling why.

This book is hard to classify. It's not horror because I wasn't once concerned or frightened, and I frighten easily. It's more historical fiction with a strong dose of fantasy. I would have enjoyed the book more if it had left out the fantasy element, but I expect this was the author's whole premise. Thus my conundrum reviewing this novel. It's worth reading just for the historical aspects.

Jordan Peele would make this into a great movie.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me an electronic ARC in exchange for a review.

***NetGalley Review***

Did I enjoy this book? Yes, surprisingly so.

What did I enjoy?

This book reminds me of the TV show Lost; just when you think you understand what is happening you are thrown completely off by a paragraph, a sentence, a word. The writing lulls you into a soothing rhythm and you're invested in the story of this woman leaving home to homestead in Montana, then with the relationships she makes with other characters, the drama of the small town etc. and then BAM you're spinning thinking "WTF did I just read?!".

I really enjoyed how thoughtful this story comes across, and how real each character feels - and there is almost a sense that there isn't a single main character. While this is categorized as a horror, I would describe it as historical fiction with a hint of suspense, western, and the supernatural.

What did I NOT enjoy?

I don't have many complaints; I didn't have an issue with the unreliable narrator but I was definitely expecting, or at least hoping for a bit more closure. There are some crazy, and I mean CRAZY twists in this book and it kinda ended with me thinking "...ok so we're just gonna go with this? Walk away like a ghost town legend told over campfires. I HAVE QUESTIONS?!"

Extremely impressed by this book. It was so entertaining and moved at such a fast pace. Historical fiction mixed with horror, and part western and literary fiction.

I have family that lives in Montana - and we visit often - and I have never read any novels about lone women homesteaders. In the 1900s while still settling the United States, there was a practice of “homesteading” where, if you could live on a parcel and make it successful and productive, after 3 years that would become your own.

LaValle tells the story of Adelaide Henry, a homesteading black woman in 1915, who comes to Montana from California with secrets--and a giant steamer trunk with a heavy padlock. She’s headed to be a “lone woman” in a state that allows single women to try to stake a claim.

The author excels at writing such vivid characters and I loved how this novel introduces lesser-known pieces of American history is a thrilling, darkly suspenseful story.

2.5
A bizarre book that takes place in 1914 with our protagonist dousing her home with family in it with gasoline. She is moving away from California and moving onto her next stage in life in Montana.

This book is categorized as historical fiction and horror...and it just didn't fit for me. Part of my issue was the historical aspect didn't fit to me. Some of the behaviors, attitudes and thoughts didn't align with what I assume would be the case in 1914 America. Then you throw in a horror aspect and .... it was just weird. I couldn't wrap my brain around the two together.

It was fine, I kept reading it, giving it a chance...but at the end of the day it is forgettable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advance e-copy of this book.

"A Woman is a Mule."

Adelaide Henry, and her enormous steamer trunk, has made her way to Montana from California. She left behind her dead parents and her old life behind. She is looking for a new start. She is one of the "lone women" who benefit from the government's offer to free land for those who can cultivate it. Adelaide isn't alone. She has brought the trunk with her. A trunk which must always remain locked in order to keep herself and everyone she meets safe.

Oh, la la, this was a nice blending of historical fiction, horror, western, and mystery. This book crept up on me from the very first page. I was fully invested in the plot and wanting to know what was in Adelaide's trunk. Be careful what you wish for fellow readers! Go in as blind as you can.

I enjoyed most of the characters in this book. There are also a fair number of characters who are unlikeable, and I enjoyed booing and hissing at them. This book also had me reflecting on who the real monsters were in this book.

I found this book to be creepy, dark, atmospheric and oh so good! This book played out like a movie in my mind. The descriptions were lush, vivid and set the mood of this book. I would not be surprised if this book was made into a movie.

Hats off to Victor LaValle for creating a unique, compelling and dark tale.


#LoneWomen #NetGalley #VictorLaValle

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Lone Women was original, creepy, and kept me intrigued through the ending. I will definitely recommend this book.
Thank you Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley & publisher for this e arc of Lone Women by Victor LaValle.
This is a western horror novel. 5*.
3 things I liked:
1. Fast Paced
2. I love westerns, so add horror and ....Yes, loved it.
3. Yes, I got scared a few times.
Synopsis: " Lone Women is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk is opened, people around her start to disappear...The year is 1914, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, and forced her to flee her hometown of Redondo, California, in a hellfire rush, ready to make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will be one of the "lone women" taking advantage of the government's offer of free land for those who can cultivate it—except that Adelaide isn't alone. And the secret she's tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing keeping her alive..."
I highly recommend this unusual read I could not out down.

After a traumatic incident at home, Adelaide Henry, leaves California for Montana to homestead. It’s lonely on the land, but she brought her secret with her.

I can see why a lot of people loved this one. It’s unique and has a good story to it. I personally didn’t connect with the character or the setting, but I still enjoyed the horror. The setting is a huge part of the book, so definitely read this if you’re the mood for a western horror with some ambiance.

“For her whole life - thirty-one years - she’d been preparing for this role. Some part of her had prayed that it would never come. But here it was.”

Lone Women comes out 3/28.

This author is a master. In this book, he manages to combine current social issues with historical fiction and monsters. It is horror, which I like a great deal, but somehow this is not what you traditionally think of as being horror. It's a historical fiction novel, with some weight to it, that also happens to have a monster (or a few). Plus not all monsters are the kinds with wings and scales and whatnot. Some (a lot) of the human characters in this novel also turn out to be monsters. It makes for a good story.

I would definitely recommend this. Especially if you enjoy historical fiction. And the non-human monsters don't give you nightmares.

Lone Women is a damn near perfect blend of mystery, historical fiction and horror! As a fan of all three genres, I was not passing on the chance to read this one. This book was very interesting and extremely fast paced. I was riveted from the very first page: a scene that establishes a very mysterious and uneasy tone for the rest of the book. The setting of this novel was like travelling back through history to a time where most of us today probably wouldn't have survived. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed with the horror aspect. However, after going back and forth and thinking on this for quite some time, I realized that the true horror in this novel wasn't necessarily what lurked inside Adelaide's locked trunk. It was the true ugliness that lurked inside people's minds and hearts. The fear of living as a "lone woman" without protection or of surviving through the winter without food or proper shelter from the cold. The terror of being strung up by a lynch mob because you were different or didn't fit in. Just a few examples of what people really experienced during this time period. This book was extremely thought provoking and very well written. It will stay with me for a very long time.

Thank you to the author, Random House and NetGalley for allowing me access to this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

Adelaide Henry is starting over. Now that her parents are dead, she's decided to leave their family farm in California and get her own homestead started in the wilds of Montana. But she's not alone. She's bringing her heavy steamer trunk, locked with a padlock, housing a horrific curse that haunts her family line. Will Montana be desolate enough to keep the curse from hurting anyone else? Or will it take Adelaide down no matter how far she runs from her past?

Okay I LOVED this story!! The atmosphere is gothic and flawless, combined with a historical western setting that makes the "creep" factor even more pronounced. There are ghost towns, blind children, and horse thieves aplenty, plus strong women scratching out independent lives for themselves in an inhospitable wilderness. It is a <i>fantastic</i> novel with a fun horror twist that I would recommend to everyone!

Thank you to Victor LaValle, One World, and NetGalley for my print and digital advance copies.

Loved this book from beginning to the end. The slowish burn from the beginning made the rest of the book well worth it. I will recommend this one to everyone I know!

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for an egalley in exchange for an honest review

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.

Those first lines were all it took to get me hooked onto this story. How do I describe a book that had the feeling of historical fiction mixed with horror and suspense and western and literary fiction?

Quite simply, Lone Women might just be the best book of 2023. I love a book with strong female characters and this book had so many-Adelaide, Grace, Bertie, Fiona, Mrs.Reed etc. They were all unapologetic about who they were and I loved that!

Yeah, I was very impressed with this book.

Goodreads review published 03/03/23
Expected Publication Date 28/03/23
#LoneWomen #NetGalley.

For those who are looking for something different, this story is intriguing with a glimpse of history.

It’s an original plot that transports the reader back to 1915 when 27 Black families in California’s Lucerne Valley signed up to homestead several acres. Adelaide Henry helped her parents farm the land to survive.

Then everything changed when something unexpected happened and 31-year-old Adelaide rushed to set their house on fire with her parents inside. She left the farm with $154 in her pocket, a travel bag and a very heavy trunk. She was now a fugitive.

In Seattle, she purchased a one-room shack with an outhouse and land in a small town of Montana close to the Canadian border. The real estate agent thought this might be risky for a single woman but she was okay with it.

The heavy trunk went into a wagon for the trip and she got inside with another family of five. Everyone wanted to know what was inside the locked trunk – including me. Later in the story, it’s revealed. Adelaide had more courage than I can imagine for a woman settling in a place close to thieves, cowboys and lots of wild animals.

While I enjoyed the story, I realize it’s fiction and some parts are clearly out there. Could a woman survive on her own in very cold weather and very little money if any? I wanted to know more. It transports you to a time when there was a lot of prejudice against the Native Americans, Blacks and Chinese immigrants. It would make a good book club discussion.

My thanks to Victor LaValle, One World and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of March 28, 2023.

Wow! Completely unexpected! After visiting Montana recently for the first time, I was excited to read a book set there. Bonus that it was set in homesteading times AND that it was about a woman doing it alone. A black woman, to boot. So, all the things against Adelaide Henry. To top it off, she’s bringing her own burden with her completely unrelated to everything else. She learns to survive, to rely on other women trying to survive, and that maybe her burden isn’t one. Such a good story. Adversity and perseverance. Women supporting women. Survival against all odds. You’ll want to read this one.

OMG, amazing!! Historical fiction at its finest with some horror thrown in. Adelaide Henry literally and figuratively carries her burden and responsibility around like an overweight steamer trunk. Imagine being a tall, strapping, black woman, alone in the 1900s carrying around a monstrous secret. A powerful story of strength and survival. This was an atmospheric read told by a skilled storyteller, I was transported to the 1900s. It was easy to imagine the desolation of the vast, sparsely populated, gritty, and unforgiving landscape of Montana and feel the varied emotions of each character. ‘A woman is a mule’. Thanks so much, Random House and #Netgalley!

This is not a typical genre I read but since I was hearing a lot of good things about it, I decided to read it. The story started very strong, and you are pulled in, curious to know why Adelaide is fleeing and what’s in that trunk she guards so much. You get some of the answers about halfway through the book and that’s when things slow down a little. This could be a drawback for some, but I was still very interested where the whole story was going. Overall, this historical horror is a great read.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House and the author for ARC in exchange for my honest review.