I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story, the people, and the feeling, and last but not least the message that I got within this book.
Read it! You'll enjoy it.
#AliceMartin

A brilliant debut by an exceptionally skilled writer - I'm stunned to learn that this is the author's first novel. This is a wholly original premise executed impeccably: the pacing is just right, the world-building and character development is thorough, and the multi-character POV (rarely something I find is done well) works as each storyline is a complete, standalone story worth telling.

I picked this up one morning with 15 minutes to kill, intending to read the first chapter or two. Hours later, my plans for the day long abandoned, I came to every bibliophile's Sophie's Choice: when a book engrosses you so entirely, do you savour or burn through it? I did the latter, and then went back for the former, discovering new subtleties and nuances along the way.

In short, this is an all-consuming story that will get under your skin like a virus (see what I did there?) and stay with you long after.

Note: It's a mistake to advertise this as "for fans of Emma Cline and Emily St. John Mandel" as this book is far more substantial than that - in fact, I picked this up *despite* my great aversion to the aforementioned authors' forgettable (sorry not sorry) works.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It’s not perfect, but a speculative fiction novel about a mysterious infection that only gets women could have gone wrong so fast— and instead it was a really fascinating read. I cried. I t felt the Aimee parts the most, but there were some twists that really surprised me. I’ll definitely be recommending!

Westward Women by Alice Martin is a powerful and evocative historical novel that shines a light on the strength, resilience, and courage of women forging new lives on the American frontier. Martin’s vivid storytelling immerses you in the harsh realities and hopeful dreams of the era, capturing both the struggles and triumphs of her characters with heartfelt authenticity. The book beautifully balances adventure, emotion, and rich historical detail, making it a compelling tribute to the often untold stories of women who helped shape the West.

What a fascinating read! This wasn't what I was expecting when I requested this novel but I was so glad I read it. It has a very unique take to the story, characters and plot line. Thank you netgalley for this earc.

This is the book of 2025, y'all!!!

Sometimes you pick up a book and immediately know you're in the hands of a writer who gets it. Westward Women is that kind of book. It gets under your skin like the mysterious infection at its center and refuses to let go.

This is Alice Martin's debut, which honestly shocked me because the writing feels so assured. Set in 1973, the novel follows a strange epidemic that affects only women, causing them to develop an irresistible urge to migrate westward toward the Pacific Ocean. But this isn't really a book about a disease. Desire and the particular hunger that lives in women who want more than what they've been given, is at its core. This novel speaks directly to anyone who's ever felt trapped by expectations, who wants something they can't even name. The way Martin captures that particular restlessness, that sense of being called toward something that might destroy you but feels more authentic than staying safe—it's incredibly powerful. And rather than explaining the infection through science or making it purely supernatural, she lets it exist in that liminal space where metaphor and reality blur. It's a disease that affects only women, that makes them want to move, that society doesn't know how to cure or contain. Sound familiar?

The multi-POV structure here is absolutely masterful. It took me a about 10% into the book to start empathizing and being invested in this cast of women, but Martin gives us four distinct voices: Aimee searching for her infected best friend, Eve the ambitious journalist chasing a story, sixteen-year-old Teenie who's infected and grieving her lost sister, and this haunting second-person narrator that speaks for the collective experience of infected women. Each voice feels completely authentic and necessary, which is rare in books that attempt this many perspectives.

What really got me was how spooky this book is without being traditional horror. If you've ever dealt with anything like chronic eczema or hives, the visceral **itch** that is the true main character can be triggering to read. All in all, it's more like reading The Guest or Our Wives Under the Sea—books that understand how to make the everyday feel strange and full of possibility. There's this atmosphere where you're never quite sure what's real and what's metaphor, and that uncertainty becomes part of the magic.

This debut should absolutely be on your TBR list. It's for readers who like their literary fiction with teeth. I can't wait to see what Alice Martin writes next. This one's going straight to my favorites shelf ✨

A stunning look at what it means to be a woman, diving deep into how society digs into you. This is for anyone that's felt the urge to run, and those who get it will not be able to put down this book, or stop thinking about it after the last page. Definitely going to be a best of the year for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Alice Martin for an ARC copy of “Westward Women” in exchange for an honest review. This novel is a debut from Martin to be released in 2026.

This novel takes place in the early 1970’s and revolves around a storyline of an infection that only women are getting within a particular age range. What’s interesting is the symbolism behind this idea that women are getting sick and men in positions of power are the ones of course to take control of the situation and decide what is best for these women. When you think of living as a woman in America in the early 1970’s, this is completely on point with what was happening regarding women’s rights.

The author takes you on a journey of three women whose stories are intertwined with each other in a very specific way. This isn’t just a story about women getting sick, it’s a story about whether you just go along with the “fate” someone says you’ve been given or you go out fighting for something better that you know is out there waiting for you.

“Westward Women” is a unique and powerful story that you will not be able to put down!

I absolutely loved this book. It gave beautiful commentary on pandemics as well as how women are seen and treated in the world (especially in a medical sense). I would highly recommend this book

Alice Martin explores how women connect, protect, and sometimes lose each other under strange and unsettling circumstances. While the plot centers on a mysterious force pulling women west, the real strength of the novel lies in its portrayal of female relationships — friends, strangers, and those caught in between.

The story is quiet but tense, and the emotional bonds between characters feel raw and real. Martin captures how women support each other in moments of fear, confusion, and longing, even when the world around them doesn’t make sense.

It’s a thoughtful, moody read — less about answers and more about the ties that hold people together when everything else is falling apart.

In personal ways, we become driven by a form of hunger for something different than what we have. The paradox of a sensation that is out of control, but in mysterious ways, our bodies almost decide for us. But how does this manifest for women and their ability to survive?

Martin zealously examines this through the lens of three women's migration in 1973 towards the Pacific Ocean while an infection spreads. As a reader, you discover how the public's speculation casts this unknown condition in a harsh light while the truth unravels through each introspective and shocking chapter.

Dizzying body metaphors and haunting echoes of ghost-like voices, this debut pressed me forward on a winding road's journey past bruised memories and tense futures. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This was a wild book! I thought that is was very fresh and forward thinking, and honestly felt very creepy in a way that was slightly unsettling with today's social climate being what it is. I loved that it took place in the 1970's, focused on women (and the epidemic impacting them specifically), and that it had some surprising twists and turns. I was so thankful to have been able to read an advanced copy from Netgalley! I would highly recommend this one!

4.5 stars. I received this as an ARC and am leaving this review voluntarily. This book will be published in March 2026. This was a delightful surprise of a debut. I am often hesitant with debuts, but this one blew me away. Martin writes like a seasoned writer, probably because of her PhD in English Lit, and it made this book a joy to read. The only downside to this book is that so much of it took place while driving, but I completely understand that on account of the fact everyone in this book is going, you guessed it, westward. What I gathered from this book is that the itch represents the pressure women feel from the patriarchy. It’s a metaphor come to life under their skin. The itch, in a way, represents female rage and repressed desires. Maybe that’s not what the itch is supposed to represent, but that’s sorta what I got out of it. I can see how some would not like this book, it’s very character driven and is more about the relationships between the POVs than any real plot, but I really enjoyed getting to be with these women throughout their journeys and the length they went to for each other. I feel like each woman stepped away from this knowing themselves and their desires, needs, and wants better, and were better off for having gone on the journey. I enjoyed the twist at 89% and didn’t see it coming. I also work in pandemic preparedness, and the whole time I was reading this book I was thinking about what my organization would have to do to respond to this sort of emergency. I think this is a very interesting take on a pandemic, oppression, and female rage. I even like that it was set in the 70s! Overall, this was an incredibly strong debut, and I think I would read anything this author releases.

ARC provided, thanks to NetGalley, the author, and publisher.

In an alt-reality 1970s America, Nixon is president but instead of Watergate taking up headlines, America is focused on the Westward Women.

Infected by a mysterious fungus that itches, disturbs, and disassociated, the women are compelled to move west in search of relief.

Four women’s stories intersect to paint a picture as they search for the piece in their life they feel is missing. One thing bringing them together is the Piper, a man driving sick women west.

This novel has a gothic, eerie feel to it. Not quite horror or gothic but with elements of both. The pace of the writing and arc of the story were terrific - really enjoyed this one.

An impeccable debut novel—speculative, unsettling, propulsive, and deeply thought-provoking—Alice Martin’s WESTWARD WOMEN will lure you in and not let you go.

Here’s the unique premise: in the early 70s, an epidemic spreads among young women. It starts with an untamable itch and coalesces into lethargy, wooziness, and loss of memory if they aren’t able to do what their body compels them to do: travel westward, to the coast. The coast calls to them and they must go. But as the infection worsens, the harder it is to move. So some women hitch a ride with a myth-like man in a big bus who calls himself The Piper and wants to help Westward Women reach their final destination.

But something’s not quite right with him, and with the infection at large. And a few girls are determined to figure it all out.

This multi-POV novel follows three women who are all traveling westward: one with The Piper, a journalist looking for him (and a story), and a third in search of her infected best friend, desperate to save her before it’s too late. A stylistically unique and very effective fourth POV enters the chat at times, too—a second person narration that makes you feel like YOU are one of the Westward Women.

I could not put this down and now I can’t stop thinking about it. The vibes were vibing and if you’re looking for a twisty, interconnected story that explores women’s desires, what they’ll do to meet them, and how they support each other along the way, definitely pick this up.

Releases March 2026. THANK YOU to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an early copy in exchange for this honest review!!

The appeal and mystique of westward travel has been a constant in American history since westward expansion, and the interest has never waned, hence why the Yellowstone tv show has been so popular and spawned multiple spin offs. But what if it wasn't just a desire to travel west, what if it was a need, a need so intense that not moving westward had a negative physical impact on the body? That is the premise of Alice Martin's Westward Women, which flawlessly ties in the relationships and power dynamics between the sexes, bodily autonomy (or lack thereof) for women, and what female desire is. If a woman's only bargaining tool is her sexuality, at what point is it a weapon, and of course, the weapon is still used against her. The role of men in this novel will sadly not surprise any women reading it, as all the men can be seen as culpable, after all, if he drives you a hundred miles west, shouldn't he get something out of it (He asks... or more frankly takes what He thinks He deserves, the communal He). This was an enjoyable story that explored a handful of interesting themes, and I would recommend it to anyone who has ever thought "What if I just stopped doing what I'm supposed to... and went west?"

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel, I am providing this review of my own choice.

Thank you so much to Alice Martin and Netgalley for sharing this E-ARC with me!

I genuinely loved this book from the bottom of my heart. It was impactful, exploring restlesness and an "itch" that all the doctors claim is just another illness that only impacts women, driving them westward-ho in seek of something beyond, but leaving them dead more often than not. The aspects of travelling west contrasted a lot with some themes of history, especially Manifest Destiny, which I thought was really symbolic in that tese women were people who just wanted a little more in life. In terms of the story itself, I really loved getting all the different perspectives in order to build out everything to its fullest potential, especially when it all merged together at the climax, which I still cannot stop thinking about days after.

*Westward Women* by Alice Martin is an inspiring, heartfelt adventure that celebrates courage, friendship, and the strength of women. Set against the backdrop of the American frontier, it follows a group of women who set out on a journey that’s as emotional as it is physical. The characters are vibrant and layered, and their bonds feel so real. I loved how it balanced grit with grace—there are tough moments, but so much hope and resilience too. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong female leads and a sense of sisterhood, this one’s a must-read.

Westward Women
By Alice Martin
Page count 304
Publisher St Martin’s Press:
Format: NetGalley Electronic Arc.
Release Day: March 10, 2026



A women's epidemic of restless and painful self-discovery ends with bittersweet results

One of my favorite and economical ways of obtaining dopamine is perusing NetGalley.com for electronic ARCS that I can dig my teeth into before anyone else does. It’s fun to help an author generate buzz for their writing endeavors. That’s where I found my latest read Westward Women by Alice Martin, which is set for release in March of 2026

Debut novelist Alice Martin guides readers through a 1960s historical fiction journey as they follow the main characters on their own westward journey.

A physical epidemic that starts with an itch, plagues its female only victims with a deep-rooted intensity that radiates uncontrollably from under their skin and turns them equal part listless and restless. When the mysterious new illness peaks, nothing short of sedation or restraint can stop the afflicted women from abandoning their lives completely, and heading across the small town land of rural América to the west coast.

Alice Martin writes this story with beautiful prose and she doesn’t inexplicably tell us what statement she is trying to make in this dystopian novel. She gives us enough to speculate on what that might be. This is a novel about a contagion and the government's effort to stop it.

The veritable epidemic is more than a physical one for protagonists, Aimee, Ginny, Eve and Teenie. It's an epidemic of disillusionment and hopelessness that predominantly affects women in their 20s and 30s. What happens to women in that age group? Once the dreams of their childhood don’t quite come to fruition. Once they realize that they’ve been led to believe that if they just tried hard enough, they could be happy.

Educational institutions, religion, societal expectations, and their family role models have let them down. When this painful truth presents itself to the characters and thousands of other women, they run and rip off the masks they’d spent their whole life presenting for acceptance, love and happiness at the same time. This triggers a mass migration that the government tries to stop to no avail.

The story is told in a literary fashion that really lends itself to the inner turmoil, or lack thereof, depending on the POV of the characters. Westward Women are delightfully moody, which really works for the story that Martin is trying to tell. Add a villain called “The Piper”, a bus ride from hell and the fact that once the women reach the west coast, they are never ever heard from again and you have a hell of an intriguing read.

The synopsis of Westward Women instantly attracted me when I found it on NetGalley, and I'm so glad I read it. It's an impressive debut and I look forward to reading any future works Alice Martin writes.

If the idea of Literary women centered fiction with a healthy splash of dystopian horror tinged speculation interests you, I highly suggest you check it out.

Put it on your list of books to look forward to in early 2026.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital copy. All opinions are my own.

Westward Women is an inspiring, beautifully rendered tale of resilience, sisterhood, and reinvention set against the backdrop of the American frontier. Alice Martin weaves a powerful narrative with unforgettable female characters who challenge the expectations of their time. With lyrical prose and cinematic scope, the novel captures the harsh beauty of the landscape and the emotional depth of its heroines. It's a story of courage and connection, filled with moments of heartbreak, triumph, and quiet strength. Martin's debut is both epic and intimate, perfect for readers of historical fiction who crave character-driven stories with heart.

Author: Alice Martin

Release Date: 2026

Netgalley Arc review

It is not a very loud book. The very feeling of this story is just like the infection that slowly grips the girls: creeping, subtle. You're aware very early on that absolutely nothing shocking is going to come from these pages but you still have to keep reading because there is a subtle sort of EXTRA that interests you. It's a compulsion to keep turning the pages, east to West, east to west. Is it science? A sixth sense? Magical realism? Just a touch of Other that could be passed off as coincidence.

Westward women is also a contemplation of human life, of a woman's life; of the rage and anger she bites back because of the stereotypes and biases and gaslighting. The need every woman has to walk away; to not care and lose herself in selfishness and melancholy. Curing the wanderlust by discovering that she was always better than who she was and what she got and she has agency over her own choices if she stops long enough to see that. It just took a different kind of virus to make them see the truth.

Charcters:

Aimee- a recent college graduate, a people pleaser, always cleaning up other people's messes. Always does the right thing and cares about Ginny, her best friend, more than anyone.

Ginny- Free-spirited rebel who lived fast and loose.

Teenie-traumatized teen whose older sister is believed to be kidnapped and/or dead.

Eve- young woman who was at the top of her journalism game until a false lead led to her downfall. Now she's trying to find a redemption story to bring her back into the good graces of the publishing world. Hears about a man called the Piper.

The Piper- an elusive myth at first, about a man who takes Westward Women on a bus to Seattle.

Premise:

An infection has started to hit women from 13 to about 50. The doctors say it's a fungus that grows in the body. The symptoms start as itching, dilated pupils, slurred speech and a desire to travel Westward, then progresses to aggression, lethargy, and memory loss. There is no known cure, though some women have been cured, and often times infection results in death. Sedation and restraint are the best practices to avoid harm to the infected or anyone around them.

Three story threads, three POVs in the beginning, interspersed with a few random side scenes that hints that something not right is happening to some of the Westward women.

Aimee starts her journey going home to find her best friend has become infected and has left to go Westward. Eve is searching for an angle on a new breaking story. Teenie is recruited by a balding man to take her Westward on a bus.

Aimee's story has the most unusual thread of the three. Some might say "fantastical" since she starts to experience a sort of prescience that is not normal in humans. She starts to see memories from other westward women in her mind and has a bit too many coincidences on her journey to be totally believable but it adds to the fabric of the story rather than detracts. The book is supposed to be a bit of a question mark, where realism and Other blur slightly in a world that is supposed to be logical and explainable. Who knows what humans are capable of?

Eve eventually finds a lead on someone who has met The Piper, but who was rejected from his ride share. This girl, sharp, smart-mouthed, and infected, goes by the name of Ginny. In exchange for information, Eve offers to drive her West. On their journey, as the two women are forced into proximity, we see the closest example of someone being "cured" of the infection and someone who catches it. It's vaguely recognizable if you can catch it; the shift between "I need to go somewhere" and "I've found the place I want to stay."

Teenie recites lists in her mind every day to judge how far gone she's become. On the bus, a new girl, Trish, latches on to her and they exchange secrets to help each other remember. But Trish degrades faster than Teenie. Perhaps Teenie has a greater reason for not succumbing because of the memory of her sister Kate is so strong. But through their story, you start to understand that a ride west with the Piper isn't from the goodness of his heart. Teenie hears him scratching at the wood of the shack they were housed in one night and hears him muttering about waiting and helping to scratch out the infection. There are all kinds of sick people in the world. It doesn't stop because there's a bigger pandemic on the rise. Many, in fact, will take advantage and prey on the vulnerable.

Aimee witnesses the end of Trish's life in a vision of horror. And so begins her quest to find and stop of the Piper. She scours the memories of the other girls in her mind until she remembers a gas station in Missoula. And there he was.

The story comes to a head in an apple orchard in the middle of the night with two girls running for their lives and a car with two other girls driving too fast on a curvy road. Again, coincidental or just a little bit Other?

Thoughts:

I genuinely enjoyed this book. It wasn't exciting or flashy but the thin threads of WHAT IF latched on to me and pulled me Westward, Westward, Ever Westward! Very different than anything I've read in recent memory. It is saturated with so much subtext and thought provoking scenarios that I could drown in Book club discussion questions.

OH MY GOD! I got full body chills, it completely blew my mind. I couldn't put this down! It completely surpassed all of my expectations. Dystopian and chilling while also be touching. What a strange, haunting story. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. I loved it. Very suspenseful and thought provoking. I will be thinking of this book for many years to come.

Review: Westward Women by Alice Martin ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Westward Women is a hypnotic and unsettling debut that defies easy categorization—part dystopian road trip, part literary fever dream, and wholly unforgettable. Alice Martin crafts an alternate history where women across America, ages eighteen to thirty-five, begin to experience a mysterious affliction: fatigue, restlessness, and an irresistible pull toward the Pacific Ocean. They abandon their lives and vanish into the West, leaving behind confusion, grief, and unanswered questions.

At the heart of the novel are three women—Aimee, Teenie, and Eve—each navigating the strange phenomenon in their own way. Aimee searches for her missing best friend, Teenie is unraveling from within, and Eve, a former journalist, chases the story that might redeem her career. Their paths converge around the enigmatic Piper, a man who guides the afflicted toward their final destination.

Martin’s prose is lyrical and haunting, with a quiet urgency that mirrors the characters’ internal unraveling. The setting—spanning decades from the Vietnam War era to near-contemporary times—adds a mythic quality, grounding the speculative elements in a deeply human context. The novel explores themes of autonomy, transformation, and the quiet violence of being forgotten.

What makes Westward Women so compelling is its refusal to offer easy answers. It’s a story about women pushed to the margins, reclaiming their agency in ways that are both terrifying and transcendent. Fans of Margaret Atwood, Emma Cline, and Emily St. John Mandel will find much to admire here.

A bold, genre-defying debut that lingers like a dream you can’t quite shake.

This was so beautifully executed!! I absolutely loved it. Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc! Great read