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.

I found Lone Women to be an interesting and engaging read. I enjoy books that cross genres. The mix of historical, fantasy, and horror was definitely unique! This one is definitely a page turner.

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.

Crafted by a modern master of magical suspense, Lone Women blends shimmering prose, an unforgettable cast of adventurers who find horror and sisterhood in a brutal landscape, and a portrait of early-twentieth-century America like you’ve never seen. And at its heart is the gripping story of a woman desperate to bury her past—or redeem it.

Lone Women was an absolutely amazing read! I have heard a lot of buzz surrounding LaValle’s works, but this is my first time reading one of his novels and I was not disappointed. The story follows Adelaide Henry, a woman who flees everything she’s ever known with a few of her belongings. Traveling her way through the states she ends up in Big Sandy, Montana, a very small town where nobody knows her past and she can start anew again. But as she settles on her secrets and heavy baggage seems to wear her down and when the lies become unraveled can she run from her past.

It’s hard to know what you expect out of any horror novel but this one (while it does have some gore) Lone Women mainly relies mainly on suspense. The novel is detailed enough to place the reader in Adelaide’s shoes but also simplifies certain aspects to leave it up to the reader’s imagination. The latter is much more powerful as the parts that are unseen in a horror novel/film always leave you the most terrified. The novel excellently displays how appearance can be deceiving as more sinister things and people start to reveal themselves. The multiple point-of-views allow the reader to get into these characters’ heads and deepest thoughts. I loved the detailed descriptions used to describe the horror aspects, but LaValle makes things just vague enough to keep the reader on their toes.

“That’s why I’m warning you,” Eleanor said. “Whatever damage the demon does, they’ll come for you. And they will repay you a hundred times.”“I’m not scared of them,” Adelaide insisted, sounding more like a stubborn child. “You should be.”

I appreciated the title of Lone Women and how it plays into the plot. These women are seen as weird or outcasts because people don’t understand them. Each one bears a heavy weight but their tenacity, courage, and independence are what make them strong. This novel is so engaging from beginning to end. Each chapter had me fully engrossed. It’s hard to talk about this novel without spoiling it, but I do recommend going in blind to get the full reading experience. I can’t wait to read more of LaValle’s works. This novel delivered on the thrills and the chills. I highly recommend it!

Didn't realize this was a horror novel- but so glad it was! Will definitely be adding Victor LaValle to my must read lists!

Adelaide Henry, thirty-one years old, methodically douses gasoline over the furniture and fixtures in the home she shared with her parents. After all is said and done, she blamed her parents Glenville and Eleanor for everything that has caused her to set fire to the home she grew up in.

Waiting outside is Adelaide’s driver who is to transport her to her new homestead in Montana. Before leaving, Adelaide bids farewell to her parents lying in their bed covered with blood stained bedsheets and a good dose of fuel. Striking the match, Adelaide casually lights the bedsheets before exiting the house — taking with her a large and very heavy steamer trunk…

The characters in Lone Women are varied and diverse with the primary character being somewhat developed. The other characters provided the needed window dressing to flesh out the storyline. Even so, something was missing as I didn’t feel anything toward any of the players.

Lone Women started off with a bang. But after a while, the pacing slowed to a trot. There are a number of hills and valleys in this novel that got a little tiresome. But the plot twists sprinkled throughout the novel kept me forging on, only to be disappointed by the big and bizarre reveal. After that, it was too late to quit and the finale just left me empty with more questions than answers. Two okay stars.

I received a digital ARC from One World (Random House Publishing) through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

This is not my usual read- it’s historical fiction, with fantasy and horror. If you like these genres wrapped up into one, this book is for you. This story had lots of twists and turns.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy. My options are my own.