Though he’s primarily a horror writer and I’m not primarily a horror reader, I was really impressed with the first two books I read by Victor LaValle. So when I saw that his next novel was a blend of horror with historical fiction, I didn’t pause more than a second before putting it on the TBR, despite a subgenre combination far outside my wheelhouse. And Lone Women didn’t make me regret it for a second.

While the narration periodically skips to side characters to deliver larger context, Lone Women is primarily the story of Adelaide Henry, an early 20th century Black farmer who flees to Montana for a fresh start after the unnatural deaths of her parents. But homesteading near the Canadian border is much more dangerous than she’d been led to believe, and it’s hard to make a fresh start when she travels in the company of the enormous steamer trunk containing her most deadly secret.

It’s part homesteading novel, part Gothic horror; in the hackneyed “X meets Y” style, you could call it a cross between Laura Ingalls Wilder and Edgar Allan Poe—but Black!—and get pretty close. And like everything else I’ve read by LaValle, it’s utterly gripping. The tension is set from the start, with Adelaide fleeing a bloody family farm with little more than the clothes on her back, a handful of cash, and trunk that must under no circumstances be unlocked in the presence of anyone but herself. The promise of a monster and the mystery of its nature keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, and the atmosphere is only heightened when the Montana snows sees Adelaide woefully unprepared and in need of neighborly assistance just to survive.

It’s possible that a novel of only 300 pages could sustain that unrelenting tension for its entire length, but Lone Women instead takes a breath in its second act. The same dangers still exist, and both the readers and the characters know they can’t be ignored forever, but they briefly fade deeper into the background while the novel fleshes out the setting and some of the side characters.

And while LaValle writes well enough that I enjoyed the less intense sections of the story, there were times that I worried it was just a way to stretch a scant story into the length of a novel. I really shouldn’t have. As the book nears its close, the dangers come rushing back to the forefront, and nearly every digression from the first two-thirds of the story sets the stage for another element of a finish that pulls together more subplots than I would’ve thought possible. There’s a story of redemption, of friendship, of family, of wealth, race, gender and historical erasure, and—not to be forgotten—of monsters. It’s tense, it’s thrilling, it has thematic depth for days, and no character is given short shrift.

It’s difficult to pull so many subplots together and maintain the kind of tension that drives a Gothic horror novel, but Lone Women did so admirably. There was perhaps one short scene that I had to read twice to understand how it fit into the whole, but everything else was nearly perfect, with each individual subplot adding not merely to the depth of the theme or the cast, but coming together to build the kind of momentum that creates an ending that is absolutely impossible to put down.

Lone Women is a novel that checks all the boxes. It’s compact and poses little barrier of entry, while delivering great characters, thematic depth, and plenty of scares. As someone who doesn’t read much Gothic horror, I was hooked by the immediate tension, but even more so by how much the book had to offer beyond just atmosphere. It’s safe to say that my impulse to keep reading LaValle has been rewarded, and as the first book I read in 2023, it set an incredibly high bar for the rest of the year to follow.

Recommended if you like: Gothic horror, frontier settings.

Overall rating: 18 of Tar Vol’s 20. Five stars on Goodreads.

Wow. This was fantastic! It’s the first book I’ve read by Victor LaValle, but I’ll definitely look for more now. The story grabs you from the first chapter. A Black woman heads to Montana to homestead, escaping from something…bringing along a mysterious steamer trunk. And she keeps making sure it’s locked.

She meets a great cast of characters, “lone women” out to make lives for themselves. They’re there for each other, support each other, have each other’s backs. I loved this book. The story takes turns you don’t expect. The grit and determination and trials these people go through, and the horror/not horror that reveals itself…We don’t want to say too much because it would be a crime to spoil it. The ending was so beautifully perfect.

It’s historical fiction with a little horror thrown in. It’s hard to describe. This was a five star book for me. It comes out March 28. Thank you to One World, Random House, and NetGalley for my copy.

I adored this book. I'm so glad I read it and that LaValle has a rich backlist for me to dive into. I loved that this book had a supernatural element to it, but that it was not a supernatural book. The element existed alongside normal society and the characters and plot interacted around it. I thoroughly enjoyed the protagonist and the ups and downs she experienced in her journey. The setting was vivid and electric. I really did not guess the major twist at all but when it was revealed, it made perfect sense. This was such an atmospheric novel--I think people will fall in love with it entirely.

3 Stars

Afer Adelaide sets her home on fire, with her parents in their bedroom, she leaves to start over in Montana. However, Adelaide does not travel alone. As a black female, she encounters many obstacles as she travels and looks to build a new life in Montana, but none are bigger than the baggage she carries with her.

I am still not sure how I feel about Lone Women. The book was well written and I feel like the storyline was okay, but the horror aspect of the book was odd to me. I loved the diverse set of characters and the community that Adelaide forms after leaving her home but this book wasn't my favorite.

Thank you, Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Every so often a book comes along that grabs you by the reins in its opening pages, gallops through its unrelenting narrative, and ends with a bullseye denouement. It’s my pleasure to say #LoneWomen by Victor LaValle is such a novel. The year is 1915 and 31 year old African American Adelaide Henry has a secret and is seeking refuge to keep it hidden. She settles in Big Sandy Montana, a tiny wilderness town whose small population includes other “ lone women”. #Lone Women is an allegorical' poetic, always thrilling telling of the oldest yarn in the books - good versus evil and what a tale it is. Buckle up - you’re in for a wild ride !

Really entertaining story that dealt with some heavy themes involving shame, isolation, and community. Although the story largely centers on Adelaide, the title refers to several women who are trying to make a go of it alone on the prairie with varying degrees of success. While I was occasionally distracted by some of the anachronisms LaValle used- not to mention some of the really terrible decisions Adelaide made that probably should have killed her- LaValle's writing was both propulsive and charming enough to lure me back in. Readers who enjoy a certain kind of rough justice will find a good payoff in the conclusion.

This could work really well as a book for a parent-teen book club (if such a thing exists). There's quite a bit of conversational kindling around questions of identity, responsibility, independence and interdependence that would be really interesting to explore with teens. And enough gory mess to use as a release valve when those other conversations get a little too intense.

If this is a horror novel, then the horror comes not from the expected monster in the closet (or in this case, the steamer trunk) but from all-too-human monsters. It's also a novel about the connections between those made outsiders by race and gender, familial bonds that both oppress and free, and powerful communities forged by women.

After setting her former life ablaze, Adelaide Henry travels to Montana to homestead with nothing more than a small bag and a giant steamer trunk. That steamer trunk, though, carries literal and metaphorical weight that threatens Adelaide's safety--and the safety of those around her--throughout her journey and into the start of her new life. Adelaide is initially supported by neighbors and friends in her early efforts on her sparse homestead outside Big Sandy, MT. But once the trunk is opened and Adelaide's secret shame is let loose, she will have to work with a small group of lone women to protect themselves--as much from amoral and fearful neighbors as from the creature that lurked within.

I loved the book. I could not put it down: it was gripping from the first pages and challenged my assumptions by zigging a few times when I expected zagging. It was also surprisingly generous to characters who seemed irredeemable or had grievously erred, and I appreciated the nuance and layers that created in the story.

Victor LaValle is always a good choice when you're looking for an inventive, genre-defying read. Highly recommend this one.

Finished @victorlavalle's LONE WOMEN in just over a day. The American frontier only the way Lavalle can do it, with horror and humanity. Redemption is possible, but at what cost? Unforgettable characters with real world morality. This is a 5 ⭐️ read.

Love the complexity of Adelaide and the supporting characters. The writing is smooth and crisp.

LONE WOMEN by Victor LaValle (The Ballad of Black Tom)

Release Date: March 28th, 2023

General Genre: Historical fiction, Dark Fantasy, Adult Supernatural Horror

Subgenre/Themes: LBGTQIA representation, family secrets, friendship, community, homesteading, the female experience, strong women, outsiders & outcasts, loneliness

Writing Style: 3 Parts, short chapters, fast pace, character-driven, multiple POV

What You Need to Know: You don't need to know *anything* going into this book. I'm afraid that early reviews will spoil some fun discoveries for you so try to avoid those at all costs. The synopsis is really good at protecting reading discovery while explaining this is a story about a woman forced to flee her home, and her past, and make a new life for herself. The only problem is that some family secrets cannot be kept in the dark.

My Reading Experience: Holy hell this is an entertaining and unexpected story. I'm giving loud (extra LOUD) praises to Victor LaValle for the short chapters that kept the pace at a fast clip. As I sit here writing this, I'm realizing how many storylines LaValle managed to work into this overarching narrative. The main character, Adelaide Henry is the primary focus and all the side stories orbit around her but LaValle does an excellent job of weaving new characters into her journey creating multiple central characters to invest in and they're all interesting, complicated, strong women...hence that title, Lone Women.
My favorite aspect of this story is the historical setting. The beginning set up with Adelaide traveling out to Montana by herself to homestead on a piece of property was absorbing. I loved all the details of her journey to get out there and how horrifying that would be for me personally. Spending the night in a dark building with no electricity, nobody to help share the load, all alone in a new place with strange sounds and the fear of the unknown. This all felt very real to me.
Coupled with this tension is Adelaide's steamer trunk. Man, I've never been so curious and desperate for answers!
As new characters move in and out of the narrative, especially in Part II, there was a temptation for me to feel impatient. This happens to me sometimes when I favor one storyline over newly introduced ones, but all of the subplots become important to get us where we're going in Part III so I'm glad I forced my impatient reader's brain into submission and just sat back to enjoy the ride. It was well worth it.


Final Recommendation: I highly recommend this book to horror fans who enjoy horror sub-genre fusion, strong female protagonists, and short, buzzy chapters that keep you glued to the pages. I never wanted to put this down--it made me resent all the life obstacles that made me set it aside.

Comps: The Hunger by Alma Katsu, The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The cover of the book, Lone Women, is what first caught my attention. A young black women, in the early 1900’s, is on her own and she decided to become a homesteader, travel to Montana, and begin a new life on her own. I thought it would be a good historical fiction read, and it was. I was not prepared for the fantasy aspect that also makes up a great deal of the book. To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I liked the main character, Adelaide, and found that I was fully engrossed in the story. This story will appeal to both historical and fantasy fans.

Thanks at Netgalley and One World for the gifted ARC! Lone Women is my third book I’ve read by Victor LaValle and I loved it!! I loved the time period and location. It’s the early 1900’s in Montana during late Fall/Winter.

We follow Adelaide who is a Black woman running to Montana after her parents are brutally murdered. All she has is a trunk that we have no idea what’s inside.

I love how slowly we start to find out more about Adelaide’s secret and how she is trying to protect her new found family. Amazed how everything came together at the end!! The plot twist left me with my mouth wide open! I didn’t see it coming at all!! Great book!!!

I so wanted to love this book. And I did--at the start. I was immediately captured--by the language, setting, story. And then as it went on--too many disconnects. In the distinct minority of readers--started out a solid 4+, but ultimately 3 stars.

The setting: 1914. Adelaide Henry, a very tall black woman leaves her home in Lucerne Valley, California after setting it on fire--with her parents inside! Lugging a heavy steamer trunk with her, she heads to Montana to become a homesteader. She will be one of the"lone women" in this category--cultivate the land--and keep it. Adelaide has a secret--not revealed for quite some time.

Tagged as historical fiction and horror--yes, but.

The wild West, the desolation, cold/wind, and loneliness--all well depicted.

What I liked:
there are many independent, strong women: Adelaide, Grace, Fiona, Bertie, the despicable Mrs. Mudge.
the language and descriptiveness.

What I didn't like:
when one finally arrives at Elizabeth [no spoiler from me]--needs more explanation--and seemed rushed at the end.

Also--seemingly too much thrown in, racism [blacks, Japanese], kidnapping, murder, lesbians, transgender [or?].

Spiralled down about 3/4 through for me.

And the ending--just NO.

In the distinct minority.

Book Name: Lone Women

Author: Victor LaValle

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC of Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Stars 4.5

Spice 1

- Fast Paced
- Standalone
- Western + Gothic + Horror
- Diverse Cast of Characters
- Dark
- Eerie and Tense
- Creepy And Vaguely Threatening Atmosphere
- The “Wild West” was a character in and of itself
- Similar to The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
- West-world Vibes
- Monsters Ghosts and Dark Secrets
- Guilt and Redemption
- Sisterhood
- Found Family
- Feminist
- Well Crafted (literarily)
- End was tied up too quickly and neatly
- The “monster” wasn’t explained fully…
- Good introduction to the horror genre for non horror readers

This book seems impossible for me to rate, as there were several aspects that I thought were fantastic, and others that left me very frustrated, and honestly confused. 
It's a historical fiction novel about a black woman trying to get her own land from the government in Montana in the early 1900's. The main character and setting was very interesting and I was immediately intrigued. Then, about 1/3 of the way through, this book became a horror novel with a "monster" of some kind she kept trapped in her trunk, and multiple killings of various characters and in different manners.

I typically read books blindly, knowing only vaguely what the genre is and not always reading the full synopsis. I knew this was a historical fiction novel going into it, but completely missed the horror part...which perhaps makes my review invalid, as I was so shocked and confused by all the craziness that ensued, that I really had to force myself to make it through the last quarter. It just got weird and confusing, with a somewhat rushed ending.

On top of all that, there were multiple details that the author seemed to throw in near the end that were then never explained, which left me wondering what the point was. Also, the explanation of the "monster" left me unsure if it was just supposed to be metaphorically the other thing mentioned, or actually that other thing. True horror fans may love and be used to this though!

Lone Women is an unsettling, atmospheric novel that follows Adelaide Henry, a woman hoping to outrun her past as a homesteader in Montana. The novel's tone captures the bleakness of this hardscrabble life, purposefully refusing to romanticize the mythos of the American West. I also appreciated the novel's refusal to whitewash or homogenize its cast of characters, instead centering often-overlooked populations in homesteading communities, including single women, Black folks, and Chinese railroad workers. I don't often read stories set in this particular context, so I especially appreciated its focus on the sort of characters who would be drawn to the margins for a fresh start, whether from opportunism, desperation, or hope.

With the added element of monsters, ghosts, and terrible secrets, this novel is a propulsive read. I had some trouble when the novel shifts to its more fantastical elements, particularly the reveal of Adelaide's horrible secret in the steamer trunk, but it was still compellingly presented. The slow reveal by degrees is nonetheless effective. It wasn't what I expected, which is perhaps why I couldn't put it down.

Thought-provoking horror and historical fiction from a tremendously talented storyteller. The world-building is compelling, authentic. Tension is effectively built throughout the story. Adelaide's tale will appeal to those who don't typically read horror. Would recommend for book clubs looking to expand their reading into genre fiction.

This is a Horror Historical Fiction. I ended up DNFing this book because I could not connect to the main character. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

When this ARC landed in my inbox and I read the synopsis, I knew this was one I would want to take notes on. It is a seamless blend of historical fiction and horror that is very well done. It goes to show that genre-bending can happen and it does work.

What I love about historical fiction is that it can often portray points in the past that I never knew about. This book is set in the early 1900s and the homesteading in Montana, where anyone, even women, could pay for a piece of property, and if successful in cultivating it for 3 years, would then be able to keep it. I had no idea about this, and the lone women who would try to make it on these inhospitable patches of land. In a way, Montana itself is an antagonist in this story - a human vs. nature tale in a place that could eat you alive easy as could be.

The book follows Adelaide Henry just after her parents were killed by a secret she hauls with her in a steamer trunk. This, of course, is where the horror element comes in, masterfully crafted, full of "I never saw that coming!!" plot twists. She leaves the family's farm in California behind to try her luck homesteading in Montana. An interesting cast of characters, all flawed yet relatable in their own unique ways, fill out the story well. The horror aspects of the book would often give me the shivers, but I found it interesting how the humans and, of course, Montana itself could give me the creeps just as much as the actual contents of the steamer trunk.

The ending was a little too HEA for me but other than that, the book was pitch-perfect. Highly recommend it to anyone who would appreciate a well-crafted historical fiction blended with horror/survival elements.

I didn't know what to expect from Lone Women by Victor LaValle which was a good thing as each chapter changed what I got from this book. It is a good story of frontier life complete with a monster and creepy neighbors and everything one could want from a book.

Victor LaValle never disappoints, and Lone Women is just as creepy and atmospheric as you might expect.