Victor LaValle is consistently one of the most fascinating and unique voices in horror today, and his highly anticipated new novel LONE WOMEN is not only a great return to scary form, but it also is a great historical fiction novel that takes on the horrors of American Expansion for marginalized groups, and a Western that turns the idealized tropes of that genre on their heads to make something grim and damning. I loved the slow burn dread as Adelaide moves from her family farm in California to become a homesteader in Montana, leaving behind a burning house and bringing a trunk with a lock on it and lots of unease around it. I loved how we slowly got a reveal on it and how well done the reveal was (I'm not going to go into details). I also loved the real life horrors of being a woman on the frontier, whether you are a woman of color like Adelaide, a single mother like her neighbor Grace, or WOC lesbians like community members Bertie and Fiona, and how they all have so much to surmount in the prairie, but also in the community of powerful people with agendas, or vagabonds with violence on the mind. It all comes together to tell a great story about supernatural and real life scares.

LONE WOMEN is probably my favorite work of LaValle's at this point. It was worth the wait to be sure.

Blue skies, empty land, and enough wide-open space to hide a horrifying secret. Adelaide Henry is a woman with a past and a mysterious steamer trunk. It’s always locked and never out of her sight because when it is, people start to disappear.

The year is 1915 and Adelaide has been forced to flee her family farm in California for the plains of Montana. As a ‘lone woman’ she can take advantage of the government’s offer of free land for any homesteader who can tame it. Only Adelaide isn’t alone. And the secret she’s spent 31 years keeping inside is now threatening to reveal itself.

The early 1900s, a woman forced to leave her home after a tragic loss, a monster out for blood. I leapt at the chance to read an early copy and, much like Adelaide’s secret, devoured it immediately.

I went into this expecting capital-H Horror. Instead, despite an actual demon gracing its pages, it’s the atmosphere that really drives the story. The thick darkness of night that lanterns can barely penetrate. The terror that comes with an early winter when you’re already behind on stockpiling food and wood. Being an outsider in a tight-knit town that protects its own.

LONE WOMEN features multiple POVs (always a plus for me): Adelaide; the secret; Grace, a schoolteacher whose community has turned away from her and her child; Joab, a boy born into a life of crime under the tutelage of his mother and older brothers; Bertie, a saloon-owner and the only other Black woman in town; Mrs Reed, the wealthiest woman around who once held a secret of her own; Fiona Wong, Bertie’s young lover and a woman desperate to locate her father’s grave so his bones can be laid to rest at home in China.

I read this one during a stormy, grey day and that only added to my enjoyment. Tense, highly entertaining, with short chapters that kept me flipping the pages, LONE WOMEN was a fantastic read and I can’t wait for others to experience it!

“History is simple. And the past? The past is complicated.”

Lone Women is a story of perseverance, sisterhood and triumph of spirit. This book is a powerful piece of historical fiction, weaving in elements of mystery and horror. It reminded me of Goosebumps, but for adults. And for all of my mood readers, this is an incredibly cozy little mystery. My favorite aspect of this book was the incredibly well developed and well rounded WOMEN at its center.

When Adelaide Henry leaves California for her new Homestead in Montana, she drags her past right along with her, determined to keep her secrets buried. But as Adelaide forms relationships with an unlikely band of misfit women, her loyalty and resolve will be tested. I couldn’t put this book down. It was a fascinating tale of community, ghosts and triumph. It will leave you questioning history (and society) as you know it.

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!!!

This is a mesmerizing, dark, and unsettling story. Adelaide Henry leaves home in a rush. She may not be carrying much, but she is carrying a great amount of weight. The steamer trunk is literally very heavy, but what is even heavier are her secrets.

This story takes place mainly in Montana before it was completely settled. Adelaide travels to this huge, wide and open, freezing cold state as a homesteader. She makes it all the way there, leaving behind some secrets but still towing one with her, and faces this land on her own. Soon enough though, the steamer trunk is opened and what comes out reveals the horror of this tale.

But is this monstrous thing the true horror? Or, is true horror what lies behind a prettier, more perfect seeming facade?

I loved this! This gave me historical fiction, horror, supernatural, and thriller all at once. Not to mention the amazing attention to the lone women of that time. I loved every single thing about this book and highly recommend it!

Out March 28, 2023!

4.5 rounded up

"Queer folk, that's what they say about the Henrys."

This story opens with Adelaide Henry fleeing her California home after a tragic incident occurs. With her haunting giant steamer trunk in tow she's got a plan to get to Montana and become a "Lone Woman".

This was phenomenal and reminiscent of Frankenstein at times. I cannot wait to read more from Victor LaValle!

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of the book from NetGalley.com in return for a fair review.
The year is 1915 and after the gruesome murder of her parents in Redondo, California, Adelaide Henry travels to Montana hoping to be a homesteader. The secret she carries, however, disrupts her plans. She meets the widow Grace Price and her son, Sam, who also harbor deadly secrets. Then there is Fiona Wong and Bertie Brown who are keeping secrets of their own. Jack and Jerrine Reed, a wealthy couple who run the nearest town, also keep secrets. Author Victor La Valle brings the prairie to life while spinning a tale that blends historical fiction and horror--an unusual combination, but one that he makes work well. I enjoyed the book from cover to cover and especially liked the odd twists and turns that culminated in a story worth reading. La Valle is a master at the art of storytelling, crafting memorable characters, and not only grabbing, but keeping, the reader's attention throughout. I look forward to reading more of his work.

I received this book from the publisher through netgalley.com I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I loved how this book combined historical fiction with magical realism to create a historical horror mystery. The book sucked me in from the beginning when we find Adelaide escaping her parents farm after burning her house with her parents dead bodies in it. She knows that she will probably be accused of killing them but she knows she needs to escape. The main thing she takes with her is a large heavy trunk that is locked shut.

She is trying to find a place to escape to change her life. She finds Montana. And there she also discovers harsh winters, people who are there to help each other and some that are only willing to help as long as you fit in. Adelaide doesn't fit in. She is one of only two black women in this harsh country and the townsfolk don't seem to want to see them succeed.

With a family of swindlers on her tail she tries to make a life for herself in a small cabin alone in the country. There she finds friendship with another woman and her daughter, as well as two others in town. All lone women.

When what Adelaide is hiding escapes the trunk the countryside is turned upside down and Adelaide needs to confront her fears, accept her reality and the thing in the trunk in order to survive.

Really interested read with a feminist thread.

Lone Women by Victor LaValle is a Powerful Historical Fiction Horror. This book was so good, it was hard to put down.
Adelaide Henry sets her family home in California on fire with her dead parents inside. She flees to Montana with a heavy steamer trunk that carry’s a family’s secret and burden inside.
I definitely would recommend this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received a digital advance reader’s copy of Lone Women by Victor LaValle via NetGalley. Lone Women is scheduled for release on March 28, 2023.

Lone Women begins with Adelaide, a black woman in the early 1900s, on her way from California to Montana. She is a woman traveling on her own, looking to take advantage of the potential free land waiting there. She is fleeing the recent deaths of her parents, and has taken little more than a mysterious heavy trunk with her. When she arrives in Montana, she finds a less than welcoming environment. As she struggles to settle as a lone woman, people around her begin to disappear and die, making her wonder if the contents of her trunk might be stirring.

For the first half of the novel, we are almost exclusively with Adelaide as she travels and begins to set up her new home. With her, we meet a variety of people, some who are temporary companions on her travel, and others who remain until the end. The novel primarily focuses on the women in this harsh part of the country, but as the story continues, we see and hear more of the men around them. For all of the characters, I would have liked more development. This is particularly true of the men. The men throughout, and the women to a slightly lesser extent, felt like outlines more than fully developed characters.

This lack of depth in character was more pronounced in the second half of the novel. Once we learn what waits in Adelaide’s trunk, the novel begins to give us perspectives of characters other than Adelaide. While this allows us to see more of the world she has arrived in, it also made it harder for me to stay invested in the story, as I wasn’t attached to the characters. I found what had been most interesting in the first half was the mystery surrounding the trunk. While we learn more about the trunk and its contents in the second half, the reveal at the midpoint took away most of the mystery, leaving the characters to deal with their current situation, which I found less interesting.

Overall, Lone Women starts with an interesting premise, but struggled to maintain interest once the opening mystery was revealed.

WOW! This is my first book by Victor LaValle and it definitely won't be my last. I was hooked with the first chapter and I couldn't put this book down. It is definitely a historical horror and I can see myself reading more of this in the future. The themes that were tackled in this book were amazing and wonderfully done. The character work was excellent as well. I can 100% understand what he was trying to portray in this book and the feminism is amazing! I would recommend this book to anyone; 5 stars!

**Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced review copy. All opinions are my own.**

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Lone Women
A Novel
by Victor LaValle

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the ARC. This book I have seen described as historical fiction and horror. The horror aspect of it was not so horrific but it did give the reader a thrill (or perhaps a little chill from the mild gore) in anticipation as to what would happen next, how the story would unfold and end.
This was my first book by the author and will definitely be looking forward to more by the author.
The author writes in such a way that you don't want to stop reading.
I enjoyed reading about all the characters and learning the how and the why they became the people they are/were.

Adelaide Henry has a secret hidden in her steamer trunk as she flees from the fire that consumes her family farm, and the corpses of her parents. So opens the novel, Lone Women by Victor LaValle. What exactly Adelaide is hiding in her trunk is hinted at, but not fully revealed until about 35% into this book.

The novel revolves around homesteaders making their way on the plains of Montana. Adelaide is the primary narrator but we meet other women who present their point of view as well. This novel is presented as being a Western Horror, and don't get me wrong, there is blood and guts and gruesome death, but it didn't really feel horrific to me. For the most part, the people who met gruesome ends deserved it. There was no real fear or suspense for me personally as a reader.

However, that said, I enjoyed this novel and it's relatively happy ending.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

Set in 1914 in the American West, Lone Women follows the journey of Adelaide as she tries to settle in Montana after the gruesome deaths of her parents. Though people think she is strange they find her giant trunk she brings with her to be even stranger. When she settles in Montana can she keep her secrets hidden? Or will they kill her just like her parents?

A little historical fiction horror? Yes please. Try NOT to read spoilers about this one. I think the mystery of Adelaide and the trunk is one you want to go into as blind as possible. This is a bloody, gruesome story which at its surface is a good horror and at a deeper level dives into the darkness of humanity and society at large (damn that’s vague and I am sorry but I really don’t want to spoil anything!). This is a fast read and I had trouble putting it down! Highly recommended for horror fans.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for this ARC!

CONTENT WARNING: death of a parent, blood, murder, racism, mention of ableism, mention of bullying, violence, gore, grief, homophobia, transphobia

I came across this book and it sounded intriguing, but also kind of scary. And I was on the fence about requesting it, because I’m notable as a wuss, but ultimately my curiosity won out. I’m so glad it did, because this was the type of “horror lite” that I love, where the story was fantastic, and it was more of a creepy and tense ride than a jump scare kind of story.

In 1914, homesteading was a new option, in a land where options for women and Black people were limited. Purchasing a plot and making it productive within 3 years meant that you owned the land free and clear forever. And this was an option available to both women and Black people. So after casually burning down her family home with her deceased parents in it, Adelaide Henry decided to try her hand at homesteading in the wide open spaces of Montana. All she had with her was a steamer trunk with her secrets locked inside.

It was easy to empathize with Adelaide right off the bat. She’s a woman out on her own for the first time in her life, in a world that isn’t exactly welcoming to women, especially women of color. But she wasn’t afraid of hard work, and she was well aware of her capabilities. However, it’s clear right from the start that this journey is more than she expected. And I couldn’t help but feel for her, especially when I put myself in her shoes.

The part of this story that impressed me the most is all of the side characters. They are each well-developed, and have their own part in the story, with a plot thread of their own that weaves into the storyline in a meaningful way. Each of the lone women in this story faces a unique challenge, and I loved how they all found their way to each other for friendship and support.

Any good horror (or horror lite) story needs to maintain a sense of tension, and this one does that beautifully. At the beginning, I couldn’t wait to find out what was in the trunk, while also dreading the discovery. And once I found out what was in it, the tension didn’t dissipate. LaValle manages to divert that tension in a different direction, and keep it going. And beyond that tension is a simmering unrest within the town that branches off in various ways—involving racism, othering, fear-mongering, and xenophobia.

Overall, this was exactly the kind of horror book that I love, and LaValle manages to wrap up all the different plot threads perfectly. It discusses both personal and societal issues at the time, many of which are still problems today, making this a perfect and appropriate read. And perhaps the scariest thing about this book is that the more things change, the more they stay the same. But at the same time, I love a fiction book that helps me learn more about history without ever feeling like it’s teaching me anything. This was a fantastic read without being too outright scary.

First book by this author but definitely not the last. Just loved his storytelling style. Was hooked right away and read in one day as I couldn’t wait to see what craziness awaited for me. Such a wide variety of unique characters some you will love and some you will love to hate! Yes had some horror elements but not too graphic or gory.

I read this book courtesy of NetGalley - I specifically requested it because I have read and loved other Victor Lavalle books in the past.
Man. What a book. It's been a while since I read a book that I just did not want to put down.... If sleep were not an obstacle, I would have finished it in one sitting. Because I had read Lavalle's work before, I knew what I was in for - there was definitely going to be something otherwordly in here somewhere. Like The Changeling, it seems like we are in our normal everyday world, but as usual, it turns out there is something sinister at work. One of the things Lavalle does best here is thread several different mysteries together - so many characters are hiding something. From the beginning, we know that these characters each harbor secrets, and the unravelling of those secrets is the fun of this book.
In the afterword, Lavalle mentions that he didn't know about these lone women homesteaders before his visit to Montana, and he reckons most others don't either. I loved learning about this history and learning to love these women in this book. The women in this book are truly wonderful characters - each and every one. The ending left me completely satisfied and I am glad Lavalle took his wife's advice (per the afterword) as to how to end this story.

Lone Women is a fascinating mix of historical fiction and womens fiction with horror blended in. Adelaide is leaving her home in Lucerne Valley, CA with nothing but a heavy steam trunk and dark family secret. Heading to Montana in hopes to start a new life as a lone black woman in 1915, she must learn to lean on others for survival while also strongly protecting the evil she hides in her trunk.
I was absolutely captivated by this story and found myself rooting for Adelaide and her found family. Lone Women is definitely a unique type of horror that may not appeal to everyone as it leans more toward historical/womens fiction.

So many thoughts about this book. I will definitely be reading more from Victor LaValle as he eloquently told a story with so many genres—horror, historical fiction, thriller, fantasy… As well as real world issues—racism, women rights, and more (to not spoil)….and somehow, it all came together and worked. It also seems fitting to finish this on International Women’s Day, as this book does a fantastic job at portraying strong, independent women trying to survive. I will definitely reread this book again during spooky season.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Captivating from the very first page. LaValle instantly set the tone for menace and intrigue. I loved learning more about this period of history, as well as interrogating my assumptions about settlers and settlements. There were times when the narration jarred me out of the moment but, overall, I enjoyed the ride.

Thank you Random House Ballantine for inviting me to read and review Lone Women. This is a wonderfully intense, engaging, and relevant book as it asks the reader to go on a journey to consider an array of complex, but very real and very lived, experiences with race, family relationships, bigotry, aggression, and somehow always a little shimmering glimmer of hope and forward movement towards a better or a different future.

This book has such powerful pacing, strong crafting of tension and a propulsive sense of something about to unfold, and excellent drops of magical realism (which I loved). The fast pace and blending of magical realism/fantasy worked for me.
The blending of horror with very real experiences with racism and related themes is well done, it invited me into a deeper engagement with the feelings that still persist when we face the horrors of historical and ongoing racism and bias in our culture.