This is one I could not put down! After reading the synopsis, I wanted to read this book so bad, just so I could figure out what was hidden in the trunk! Once I found out what was in the trunk (no spoilers), I just wanted to know where this book was leading me. Fascinating, horrific read. Thank you.

Victor LaValle does it again! This was such an eerie creepy novel full of so many twists and turns that I could not get enough of.

Who knew a steamer trunk could be the stuff of nightmares. I loved how slowly LaValle peeled back the many spooky layers of this story. Definitely had me hooked and on the edge of my seat from the very first page. The suspense and haunting vibes were immaculate!

Advice: don't read this at night or you won't be getting any sleep!

This memorable supernatural Western marries nonstop action with profound questions about loyalty and shame. In 1915 a Black woman flees her family farm in California to homestead in Montana, carrying a trunk that contains a monstrous secret. Her journey from isolation to solidarity with other frontier women illustrates the difference between the type of loyalty that silences and separates us, and the type that makes us grow in courage and compassion. The former type is personified most grotesquely by the wealthy white doyenne of the town, whose support for her fellow women stops at the color line. Positive LGBTQ representation makes this book a standout as well. LaValle writes convincingly from the standpoint of a female protagonist.

Lone Women is a fantastic story about a black woman named Adelaide who is off to make it in the wilds of Montana. What brings her there is tense and how she survives once she gets there is even more so. The story is full of interesting characters and a demon of sorts. The women who help her are awesome and tough as nails. The setting is so unforgiving and the author really is able to capture that in his writing. I absolutely loved the book and read it in two sittings. Another excellent story from this super-talented author.

LaValle writes incredibly cinematic moments in his tales, and I'm grateful whenever a chance comes to my door.

I wish to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – One World for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a captivating story that grabs you at page one and drags you spellbound through it to the very end. The setting for it begins in California and later moves to remote Montana. The main character is a very tall, strong, young black woman who flees her family home in California. She sets out to make a new life for herself in Montana. While in Seattle she purchases a forfeited Montana homestead. It is a terrifying tale and one that keeps you guessing all the way through it. The characters are wonderfully crafted and I found myself sitting on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who and what was happening. This book is set in the early days in the west, in ghost towns, small towns in California and Montana and what life must have been like for the early settlers. See if you can figure this one out. I read it never wanting to put it down and highly recommend it. I will be looking for more books by Victor LaValle.

Montana offered a new start for Adelaide but it was not an easy life for a lone black woman especially one who brings a curse with her. A homestead far away from prying eyes can be a dangerous thing but after a rocky start she finds a few female friends in town - after all lone women need to stick together. There is a secret that threatens her new life. It will not be contained, kept hidden or silenced as Adelaide soon finds out. The hardships that these women face are different from the men and justice doesn't always land on their side but they all show incredible resilience, strength and understanding. Once the trunk is opened you will find out, dear reader, why they call it the wild west.
Horror mixed with a rainbow of characters in complex relationships make this a must read for fans of A DANGEROUS BUSINESS, UPRIGHT WOMEN WANTED and WHEN WOMEN WERE DRAGONS. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

In the windswept, flat land of Montana, Adelaide Henry hopes to find a place to hide from the horror of her life. She finds other lonely women, all hiding from something.
A harrowing story tempered by found friendship and comradery of other women. Very deep and emotional. An excellent read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Victor LaValle tells a gritty and intense story in the Montana Landscape. Adelaide Henry and a supporting cast of characters are vivid in my mind, and the wind has taken on a life-like quality. You feel you're in Montana walking in the snow, the cold on your skin, and the fear; it's everywhere and will not let go. This is a fantastic historical horror fiction novel. Praise for Lone Women, always!

Every so often (and all too rarely) you encounter something special – a perfect read. Lone Women by Victor LaValle is that book.

I honestly think that this may be one of my favorite books ever.

The book is mysterious, engaging, and so easy to get completely lost in. It was the kind of book I didn’t want to put down. When I had to stop (yay work?), I was thinking about the book and so anxious to get back to it.

LaValle never (and I mean never) takes this book where you think it will go. Every time I thought I knew, I was wrong.

As for the characters? Iconic. Not only Adelaide, but the other women in this book and a particularly murderous family. They are so vivid!

I loved this – five stars and beyond.

• ARC via Publisher

Absolutely captivating! I adored this genre bending, gothic horror style western. Trust Lavelle to deliver a oppressive supernatural vibe woven seamlessly into a very real world atmosphere. I just love how the themes in this book force the reader to question morality, good & evil, survival, and loyalty.

Lone Women is a very interesting book. I love Lasalle's writing style and The Changeling is one of my favorites but I just didn't relate to this story as much. I wish he had leaned full horror with this story.

A handsome horror story set in historical Montana, with LaValle's immense writing gifts at the forefront. The images are stark and memorable, the characters wonderfully complicated, and the monster is the heart of the story in more ways than one. I appreciate when a monster isn't fully described, when it takes shape like a charcoal drawing, too vast to be caught in more than glimpses. Claws, yes there are claws. And wings, there, a flash of wings. But you can't see it all at once, it's in too much movement.

The side characters are realistic with stories of their own, whether we'd cast them as friends or villains alike. They are proud, they are frightened, they are doing what they have to do. The ending reflects current trends in horror writing: marginalized characters who opt out of mainstream society because they've had enough of trying to "live up" to the status quo. Who realise that this liberty they fought for was just a simulacrum of freedom, was a game that has been designed for them to never win. It's a little obvious and pat, but you are also relieved that Adelaide has finally found a life of her own.

I was sent this ARC because I requested a George Saunders ARC and this apparently had a similar vibe. It was not something I normally would have picked up, but I’m glad it was sent to me because I really liked it. Lone Women follows a woman with a secret as she leaves her home in California to homestead by herself in Montana. She has a lot of “baggage” to say the least. The novel is filled with social commentary about social bias against women of color and against queer women. This is the type of genre defying novel that I love to dive into. And it’s the type that I think I could gain even more from after a second read through. I liked the end of the book and I am going to read more of this author’s work.

Adelaide Henry left her home and boarded a steamship for Seattle. She had a large trunk with her. What could be in that heavy trunk? As she traveled to her claim in Big Sandy, Montana many people wondered what she had packed in her trunk. Even in your wildest dreams, you couldn't guess. Adelaide is naive and hasn't made any type of plan. She needs to winterize her cabin, stock up on provisions, and have a supply of firewood to keep her cabin warm. The arrival of a neighbor - another "lone woman" - provides her with company and some much needed food. Will Adelaide be able to live in this harsh environment?

Lone Women is a surprising story. It is about the inner strength of women, the bonds women form, and resilience. Victor LaValle has also added horror to the mix. He masterfully blends the elements of horror into a pioneering woman story. I don't know how he did it, but it works! The characters are intriguing and the evolution of a community in the wilderness is an excellent backdrop for the story. Lone Women is a surprising page turner from an author with amazing story-telling skills.

Okay, so this is...let me see if I can get everything in to one sentence. This is an early 20th century Western featuring a black woman homesteading in Montana while trying to hide the literal demon she brought with her when she burned her family's California farmhouse down. If not a single one of those words convinces you to read this book, you might want to have your heart rate checked because you are dead inside.

Lone Women is perfect for fans of Upright Women Wanted who don't mind a bit of horror mixed in with their feminist Westerns.

After YEARS of being unable to even finish a book, let alone finish a book in a matter of days, Lone Women has managed to wake up my love of reading. One of the most entertaining reads I've ever picked up and truly a masterpiece.
I started this book at work and I found myself constantly trying to find time to continue reading, so eager to turn each page. I read the entire book in just a few days and I was left wanting more but satisfied with the ending nonetheless.
Beautifully written, amazingly diverse characters, and one of the most memorable plots I've ever encountered. I opened this book completely blind, knowing only the title. I would highly recommend also going into this book knowing as little as possible so you can be engulfed in the mystery and mayhem that is Lone Women. This book is absolutely fantastic and I look forward to picking up the author's other works as soon as I can.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: March 21, 2023

This review falls in the minority but as my first LaValle book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped. Firstly, I’m not much for the horror genre but based on all the other pieces (ie: historical fiction, thriller).

The beginning hooked me right away and I loved the short chapters. However, there were parts that really added nothing to the story which left me frustrated.

Overall, I think horror lovers should give this book a shot but my personal preferences left me disappointed and perplexed.

What an incredible read! I was enveloped in this story from the first few pages. Books set "back in the day" are not typically my thing unless done exceptionally well...and this was one of those books.

Victor LaValle wove an exceptional story that had me feeling for each character, well, almost each because some of them were horrible people. Adelaide Henry was intriguing. The storytelling about her parents painted a picture of them (rightly or wrongly) and how she ended up in the predicament.

This was probably my favourite book of 2022 and I'll be reading more of his work in 2023. There could definitely be another book after this one (and I'd read it!)

Living in Montana is often not for the weak of heart in this modern age, let alone in the early twentieth century. This was the lesson that Adelaide Henry has to learn in the latest book from Victor LaValle, Lone Women. She comes to Big Sandy thinking that she has survived more than the average woman and that this is her escape. What she fails to consider is that new dangers can meld with old ghosts and create a mess she could have never imagined.

This story is filled with characters who seem straight forward, but continue to surprise you with their behavior. It is a story set in an unforgiving landscape which makes you cringe at the mere description of the climate and the brutality humans are capable of. However, it is also a story of finding a way to connect with others to not only survive, but thrive; and connect with all pieces of yourself, including those which you thought were monstrous. Even though I often found the pace slower then I would have liked, Lone Women is another good example of LaValle's storytelling skill and should not be missed by his fans.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to enjoy this book.