The Widows is a wonderful novel by Jess Montgomery that focuses on women whose strength really shines through as they take on roles and responsibilities not of the norm for women in the early 1900s. A good debut novel that gives you insight into the life of two interesting widows in the early 20th century. Really enjoyed!

"Life often demands doing contradictory things in exchange for survival". Life in the Appalachian mining town of Kinship, Ohio changed in the blink of an eye following a 1924 cave-in resulting from an undetectable buildup of methane gas ignited by lightning. John Rutherford, Marvena Whitcomb's common-law husband and Caleb McArthur, Lily Ross's father died trying to rescue trapped miners in the Widowmaker. Lily and Marvena would soon meet each other under less than ideal circumstances.

Lily Ross was jail mistress, keeping prisoner records and assisting her husband, extremely popular Sheriff, Daniel Ross. Daniel's half-brother, Luther owned and managed Ross Mining. Miners lived in company housing and were paid in scrip, in lieu of money, to be used for purchases in the company store. Workers who complained often were forced to vacate company housing units. Luther hired Pinkertons, thugs used an enforcers. Sheriff Ross was sent by a Pinkerton to pick up and jail a prisoner who was a miner. Daniel never returned. Lily was informed that he was killed by the "escaping" prisoner.

Lily and Marvena meet after Daniel's funeral. Each woman has a connection to him. What happened to the close, honest marriage between Daniel and Lily? The uncomfortable relationship between these two strong minded, determined women was ever changing. Lily had been appointed acting sheriff until a new election. This title would enable her to investigate Daniel's death. Marvena would "keep stirring up" what her husband started, the organization of mine workers. Luther Ross with the backing of hired Pinkertons, was not having it!

Lily and Marvena had joined the "sorrowful sisterhood of widows". Will acting Sheriff Lily Ross glean the details of her husband's death? Will Marvena Whitcomb's attempts to organize mine workers be successful? Did Lily truly know Daniel? So many questions...deaths...disappearances.

"The Widows" by Jess Montgomery was a historical fiction debut novel loosely based upon the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff, Maude Collins and activist, "Mother" Jones. Both Lily and Marvena were women crusaders fighting corruption and seeking justice. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Widows".

Here’s something fresh for historical mystery lovers: a series set in a 1920s mining town in Ohio during prohibition (can’t you just hear the roar of potential stories!), featuring a female sheriff. And those men who thought having a female sheriff meant having a puppet whose strings they could pull at will had better think again!

It took me a little while to settle into this novel, in large part because it is written in the third person present tense. (eg. Lily sweeps the jail cell for the next prisoner, set to arrive in a few hours.) I find this a distracting tense to read in, particularly when it frequently shifts into the past tense when referring to things that happened in the past. I know that actually sounds logical, but for some reason the switch back to present tense always throws me. There’s also the distance this narrative style creates between the reader and the character, inserting an invisible narrator. It’s just not my favourite mode of storytelling.

That said, this was a solid debut. The story is told alternately from Lily’s (the sheriff) and Marvena’s (a woman whose common-law husband recently lost his life in the mines) points-of-view—two women who are strong because they have to be to survive. They’re no strangers to heartache either prior to or during this story, but they confront that heartache head on and keep moving forward.

The historical setting is captured well, as are the politics of this small town, where a very few hold the balance of power and are quite happy to exploit the workers who have no choice but to accept their lot if they are to put food on their tables. Thus, this is not just the story of a woman determined to find out the truth of what happened to her husband; it’s a story of rural community life at a time when the rumblings beneath the socioeconomic landscape were escalating to breaking point.

But what has stuck with me most was the decision these women had to make once the truth was revealed: seek vengeance, or put their personal injury aside and seek what is best for their community?

I’ll be interested to see where this series goes from here.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. I only gave it 3 stars, however, because it was very difficult to follow at the beginning. Too many random characters were thrown at the reader with no indication which ones were more important to the overall story. I realize Ms. Montgomery wanted to start off with a bang, but maybe a bit more preamble would have made it less confusing. By the end of the book, everyone was memorable, it just took some time to get there. And, I am not too sure exactly how I feel about how the book ended. If you enjoy historical fiction taking place in 1900s America, this is a wonderful story with strong female characters.

When I read the blurb for this book, I immediately knew I wanted to read it. It's technically well written and packed with historical details that put you right into the scene. But for some reason, I just never was truly engaged with what was happening on the page. The pace is leisurely - slow, even - and it takes a while for the story to get going. There are also flashbacks that interrupt the narrative. I also immediately guessed who the villains were. In the end, I'm afraid that I found it difficult to maintain interest and only limped along to the end so I could finish it in order to leave feedback.

Two strong, but very different, women unit to save their community. Good hisorical novel with a different love story than usual.

Great read. This book takes place in the 1920's when strong women were not appreciated. This book has two such woman. It shows that women can be strong and still come out ahead, but maybe not the way they wanted. I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest opinion. It was a great book that I might not have found otherwise.

Set in 1920s Ohio, this part mystery part drama will appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction based on true events. Lily learns that her husband, Sheriff Daniel Ross, is killed while transporting a prisoner and that she might not have known him as well as she thought as he seems to have had a secret past with a coal miner's widow, Marvena. When Marvena's daughter goes missing, she comes to Daniel for help and meets Lily. Both women were strong and independent which I liked and I also found the fact that Lily became the town's first Sheriff after her husband's death to be compelling. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding Daniel's death as well as that of the missing daughter.However, I found it to be less cohesive and a little confusing in parts.

The Widows by Jess Montgomery
Kinship #1

Lapsang Souchong – not Jasmine Tea – One thought I had while reading this book. Now, my mother loved a smokey tea and...others no doubt love it too...not my favorite flavor but I do have to say this book grew on me as I continued to read. That thought happened at the beginning of the book and as I read I kept thinking that neither of the main characters were people I could really relate to and I wondered why. It wasn’t the era of the early 1900’s or the location in the Appalachian coal country or even the fact that the number of widows was huge within the area because...post war there would be widows. I think perhaps that Lily and Marvena took time to really know and didn’t seem the warmest women I have ever met in a book. As the story unfolded I saw a bit more of who they were and why they made the choices they did but even at the end of the story I didn’t feel I knew them well. Perhaps as this series continues the characters and their back stories and thoughts and reasoning will be exposed a bit at a time and I will come to know them better and warm to them, too. I did think about not finishing the book but in the end am glad I did finish it and can say that I am interested in finding out what happens in Kinship when book two comes out.

This book deals with a great deal of loss and is filled with the darkness of a mining town with the oppression of miners in that period. There is more than one murder so a mystery to solve. There are evil men with agendas of their own. There is the slow unveiling of who Lily’s husband Daniel was besides being the Sheriff and her husband. This is the story of two women that may forge a friendship as the series continues and it is a story that though dark does have a bit of hope toward the end.

Did I like the story? More at the end than in the beginning
Would I read more in this series? Yes, to see where the author plans to go with the characters
What did I like? That it made me think and wonder even though it was not an easy read

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press-Minotaur for the ARC – This is my honest review

3-4 Stars

Historical fiction about two strong willed women in 1925 Ohio and the cipher of the man they both loved. Lily is Daniel's wife; Marvena is his best friend. Daniel, the sheriff, is mysteriously killed and Lily is determined to find the truth. Marvena, who has been organizing at the mine run by Daniel's half brother, is searching for her 16 year old daughter, who went missing from the "boarding house" where she had been working. This would have benefited from some framing info up front about the situation with the coal mines and Pinkertons. I was also bothered by the Mrs. See's Candy box which is key to finding out about Lula- See's, which does now have stores in Ohio, was only in Los Angeles at the time this is set; I kept expecting there to be something to hook that in- some reason for an LA based candy box- but I think no one caught the historical inaccuracy. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

2 stars

Well written historical fiction. I know there is a market for this book; however, it is not me. The writing is good, the characters are passable but I unfortunately did not enjoy the book very much. I'm not sure why, the book just was not exciting or fresh.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

A gritty, uncompromising and emotional look at the Ohio coal mining industry during the 1920s, and the efforts to unionize the miners. The story centers around 2 women and one man...the sheriff, and what happens after his murder. Lily was Daniel's wife, she is determined to find out who killed him. After his death she is appointed sheriff. She doesn't know about Marvena until she shows up in town after his death. Daniel had promised to find out what happened to her daughter who's disappeared. Marvena is also trying to organize the miners to join the union. They need better, safer conditions, better pay and she wants to keep children from having to work in the mines. They must learn to trust each other in order to accomplish what needs to be done.
I loved Lily and Marvena...both are strong but weary women fighting for their families and friends.

1920s coal mines, Pinkertons, corruption, and a murdered sheriff whose past was shared by two women. The story unfolds from the two women's perspectives and melds as the story builds up to a big crescendo. Wonderful descriptions of the times, mining and its dangers, and the struggle to unionize those death traps. I was bit let down by blurted admissions of guilt at the end but still giving it 4 stars for everything but the epilogue.

“…So many believe women are too sensitive for life’s brutal truths. That’s only, Lily thinks, because they’ve not experienced the brutal truths life gives particularly and uniquely to women.”*

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
In 1925, two strong women live in an Ohio mining town. The man who loves them both is killed and together they sort the facts from the fiction about his death and his relationships with them both. With Lily’s father and Marvena’s common law husband both causalities of unsafe mining practices, the plight of the miners becomes a personal battle. Lily is appointed sheriff, and she uses her new position to right wrongs.

To me, the message of this book is the power of women. Both Lily and Marvena are underestimated. Despite Lily’s experience as jail mistress, no one expects her to do more than be a figurehead until a new sheriff is elected. Yet, she uses everything at her disposal to do her job well and to make the town a better place. As a character, she grows throughout the book, but her goodness and determination are evident from her first appearance on the page.

The book tackles relationships between romantic partners, family members, and rivals, showing how the dynamics serve to build bridges and to burn them down. Plenty of details are included to satisfy history buffs, yet the book isn’t bogged down by the past. Quickly I became invested in Lily and Marvena’s lives, wanting them to prevail and forge a lasting bond. While historical fiction isn’t one of my go to genres, these two women and their struggles, tragedies, and triumphs made the book a five star read for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to experience THE WIDOWS in advance of its release.

*Please note that my review is based on uncorrected text.

I love it when a book has an absolutely GREAT opening chapter and this one had a dosey. I was hooked from the start and read it in just a few settings, life always intervenes when you have a good book to read. I was drawn into all of the characters, Lily, Marvena, Daniel, George, Luther, and the families, even though this is a fiction book, it reads as if it all could be true. Nothing seemed to be unbelievable.
I loved Lily’s character, she truly loved her husband, she was feisty, gutsy, smart, beautiful, caring, and most of all, good with a shotgun. Her character is based upon the first woman sheriff in Ohio in 1924. This book has it all, love, murder, mystery, heart, and concludes with a stellar ending. I was completely entertained and I learned a little bit about coal mining in Ohio with the miners and the Pinkertons and the research for the timeframe in the 1920’s was spot on. This one gets high 5 *****’s, I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
I was given the opportunity to receive this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets 5*****’s.

The setting kept on reminding me of the wild west even though this takes place in 1920s Ohio. The coal owner and the mafia owning the law helps the feel of lawlessness in the book. Lily has to deal with her husband being killed and not believing the story of his death. Helpfully, she becomes the temporary sheriff so she has some authority to find out that happened. The other perspective is Marvena who is tied strongly with the miners and is demanding their rights.

Both characters are strong and want the same outcome even though they come from different aspects. They're both full characters on their own.

I don't know if this was intentional but I thought the title referred to Marvena and Lily but as the story goes on we meet more women who become widows. Men do dangerous things that get them killed and then we watch the women have to live with the consequences.

It is 1910 in Kinship, Ohio. Ross Mining company's Mine #9 is nicknamed The Widow Maker after the 1888 cave in that killed 42 men.
6 weeks ago the mine was re opened due its high grade coal.

Unknown to the men who are working the mine,, methane gas is building up once again in the mine near the newly re opened entry, just as it did in 1888.,


two men remain dep in the mine at the end of the day. Lightning strikes near the mine's entryway igniting the gas and the explosion demolishes the entrance.
The crew leader who was close to the entry an see pinpricks of light and hears one of t he men outside calling to say he will get help.

Help come too late to save them.

Lily is the sheriff's wife and jail mistress. Her husband Danie has had to accept his half brother bringing in hired police agents (Pinkertons) after the widow Makers deaths brought about restlessness.

Daniel is killed while transporting an escaped prisoner, he is shot with his own gun.

Lily knows this wasn't possible an wants to know more about her husband's death and who t he prisoner was.

Malvena a widow had a secret relationship with Daniel they were lovers before he met Lily. He looks out for her and tries to provide for her children. Her brother is the escaped prisoner..

Lily learns a Pinkerton came to tell Daniel to pick up the prisoner. She is asked to be the sheriff until the election.

Malvena is an organizer as was her husband,, organizing the miners for better working conditions and for safer mining practices She is organizing the women of the mining town to braid rag rugs in which to store and transport dynamite, to be used against the Pinkertons. Officially the rugs are to be sold as a fundraiser for the school's roof.
.
When Malvena's brother is found he tells Lily he didn't know Daniel was dead. He tells her that he and Malvena knew of Luther's (Daniel's half brother) plan to re open the mine under the old miner's cemetery.
Malvena hides dynamite in the crevices of the Devil's Backbone (the mountain the mine is on).
.

The new mine's opening collapses killing 16 men and boys. Water from the cemetery's ground fills the tunnel entry making rescue of the bodies by rowboat only. Malvena's nephew is trapped in the mine and she and Lily go in to tray and rescue him.

Lily finally finds out why Daniel was murdered and by whom. He was a victim of a supposed double cross.


Lily and Malvena , both widows bond over their grief and their mission for safer working conditions.,.

I chose this book because I live in Ohio. I have a coal mine a half mile away. I am so glad Netfalley gifted me the arc of this book. My opinion of this book follows. I thought it was a wonderful plot and I learned some things I didn't know. I love when historical fiction does that. The characters are interesting. I am intrigued to learn more about the lady sheriff.

I really liked The Widows. I would love to read more by Jess Montgomery in the future. I give this one four and a half stars.

Available January 8: The Widows by Jess Montgomery

***** 4.5 stars, Loved it: With her strong characters and vivid imagery, Jess Montgomery brings you to the American Frontier; The Widows is a great American fiction.



Recommended readers:

If you like tough women in US history
If you want an action-packed, historical read
If you like strong female characters
Here's my Rankings:

4/5 for characters
4/5 for plot
4.5/5 overall
REVIEW FROM BOOKS FOR HER:
Lily Ross soon finds herself the sheriff in her small Ohio mining town - just days after her husband - the former sheriff is murdered. As she looks into his death, she meets Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner's widow with a questionable past. As the two women dig into the murder, it only becomes more confusing and dangerous.

Based on a true story of the first Ohio woman sheriff, The Widows is a powerful tale of corruption in the coal mining and Prohibition era. The two women from very different backgrounds, come together - however unwillingly - to bring justice to a town that is reeling from shaft collapses killing miners, and control over illegally produced moonshine. With her strong characters and vivid imagery, Jess Montgomery brings you to the American Frontier; The Widows is a great American fiction.

Available January 8: The Widows by Jess Montgomery