Unfortunately, I don't think I truly understood this book. I thought when it started it was very intriguing and I was entertained. I thought the premise was unique and I was excited to see where it went. However, as the story progressed, I wasn't really sure where the storyline was going or what was the point. The ending was just as puzzling as the middle. I was left wondering "why". I think my lack of interpretation played into this lack of understanding. Thats all I can think. I wish the best for the author and hope that many people read and love this book. Just wasn't for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Victor LaValle, and One World for providing me with an advanced reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 4
Characters: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

This was such a fascinating read! My first by the author but I’m intrigued to read more of his because I loved his writing style and the development of the plot. Lone Women had so much mystery that you wanted to keep turning the page.

Adelaide Henry is leaving her family’s farm for the first time in over 30 years, and with her she brings a lot of baggage. Literally. She is bringing a very heavy trunk with a secret she has been protecting for all her life. This secret gets out while she is trying to make a life for herself in Montana, and this is the biggest plot line.

The woman making lives for themselves in Montana are bad asses but each carrying their own secrets which makes for a compelling novel that will continue to leave you hooked each chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and One World for the eArC!

I will be posting my review on my Instagram, Bookishlyshan within the month.

Creepy, fantastical historical fiction that complicates the stories we tell about the past. LaValle is a master at creating tension. This comes out in the spring, but it would be excellent fall/spooky season reading.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy.

This isn’t a book I had on my radar, and not one I’d typically pick up. But when the publisher reached out to me and asked me to review it, I decided to give it a chance. And man am I so glad that I did! I am truly blown away by this novel. It is something else, something other, in a class all of its own, and I was hanging onto every word. It’s so much better than I ever could have expected.

Part historical, horror, fantasy, and western - it is all these things and so much more. Set in the early 20th century, the world-building of this story is impeccable. I felt like I was on a journey in the Western frontier, in the harsh, cold, desolate plains of Montana. The culture and society the author builds within the story creates a climate that is representative of the era.

And throughout it all, this story speaks to the difficulties experienced during the beginnings of the womens’ suffragettes movements during this time period, as well as the struggles that people of color and people of other cultures/nationalities faced. We see the enmity and oppression that the characters are confronted with. It is also a story about the bonds of family, especially the consequences when those bonds are strained. It shows the stark impact that a child’s upbringing can have on their life, for better or worse.

This book is gripping in its intensity. The magical comes to life in the most believable way. The story is haunting, full of dangerous creatures and humans alike. Adelaide’s family secret is unlike anything I could have predicted. Creepy hauntings and violent decisions throw the tumultuous plot into a surprisingly twisted chain of events. The story is sorrowful, gory, and completely immersive, with all of the characters enacting their own furtive agendas.

Reading this book is an experience, one I enjoyed immensely. This story is a brilliantly-crafted narrative. Genre-bending novels can be a feat, and this one pulls it off perfectly. I highly recommend this book! The synopsis doesn’t even do it justice. It deserves all five stars and way more hype. This author is definitely now on my favorites list, and I’m looking forward to checking out his other books.

Victor LaValle continues to amaze with his novels. I read The Changeling and the Ballad of Black Tom. Lone Women is just as good as the other two award winning titles. If creepy were a genre, Lone Women would be in it. It has elements of thriller, mystery, horror, slasher, and western. The first chapter starts with a bang and each chapter builds tension and suspense until the conclusion.

Parts of Lone Women reminded me of Percival Everett's The Trees, Toni Morrison's Beloved, and Elmore Leonard's western short stories. As in The Trees, Lone Women explores the diversity which existed in the west, in this case Montana, after slavery but before Jim Crow when blacks, indigenous people, and the Chinese were homesteaders. Like Toni Morrison's Beloved, the story is a suspenseful mystery of what really happened to a family. There are family secrets which haunt, literally ghost, the present. Lastly, Lone Women is a western in the tradition of Elmore Leonard, exploring vigilante justice, lawlessness, and the nutty character of people who move to in isolated, habitable lands.

Every element of the novel is masterful. The main characters draw your sympathy. You pray for the five main characters' survival. LaValle makes you feel the hostility of the Montana landscape -- alkaline wells, frozen soil, brutal winds, and blinding night. The landscape is a character and a character builder. The denizens are eroded, hard, cold, and dark. The language is deceptively simple. Again, like Elmore Leonard, the scaled down language makes the philosophical issues interesting but not tedious. There's no preaching and pedantry. Lastly, the book contains unexpected moments of hilarity. Similar to Paul Beatty or Sloane Crosley, LaValle sneaks in unexpected jokes.

No spoilers, but the ending is hopeful. I cried with joy. Part of what I loved so much about The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones was the hopeful ending in which the young female character defeated generational trauma in the form of a demon elk. Lone Women offers a similar sort of triumphant ending.

I am so onboard with Victor LaValle.

So good! Western horror is that a genre? I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into but this writer has a way with words. The characters, the setting, everything just embraces you and comes alive on the page. Several twists I wasn't expecting which made it even better. I fear there is very little I can say without giving anything away but this is not your average homestead finding your place in Montana story.

I feel like I am in the minority with this review. I have never read Victor LaVelle before, so I just might not be used to his style, but the story felt pieced together and did not really reach me as a reader. The story had a good foundation, however, there were little pieces of other characters added to the story that just did not make sense to me. I went back and reread sections wondering if I missed a plot point that connected things, but it's just the way the author wrote it. The ending also seemed to fall flat for me. There was a momentous moment when Adelaide confronts Elizabeth, but then they just move on. I expected more 'drama' in their reunion.

This book may be for some readers, but not for me.

I was offered an eARC of this and accepted not really knowing the premise but knowing that Victor LaValle had been on my list of author's to check out for quite some time.

This was enthralling. Historical fiction with horror and thriller and fantastical elements thrown in, Lone Women tackles all sorts of heavy themes from identity (race, sex, class, etc.) to homesteading and the American Dream to so much more and it's written in such a tight yet lyrical manner.

The story starts off with a bang as we see Adelaide Henry fleeing California after the death of her parents. Then there is the slow build of tension as we learn more about the Henry family secrets. The way LaValle uses the climate of a Montana winter as the backdrop of this story about a woman trying to make her own way in the world was so masterful.

There was so much to love about this book, from the prose to the atmosphere to the themes and the the characters. While I admit the ending sort of lost me, this is a book that I have not been able to stop thinking about since I finished it and I cannot wait to read more from LaValle.

Adelaide reads about homesteading opportunities in Montana. She knows that it is time to leave it all behind in California. So she wraps up loose ends and sets out alone, at 31, to start a new life with only a bit of money and a heavy trunk to her name.

After experiencing more than her fair share of challenges just getting to her homestead, Adelaide finds that it is an empty run-down property in a desolate part of Montana, with no potable water, far from town.

Time to settle in for yet another 1900 Western story about how a tough woman overcomes all odds, finds a man, builds a family, and lives happily ever after? Not so fast; that wouldn’t be a Victor LaValle novel. You see LaVelle has taken his inimitable talents out West for “Lone Women” and Adelaide and the rest of us are in for a wild ride.

Adelaide’s mother taught her to always remember that “A Woman is a Mule”. We root for her to overcome hardships including being one of the very few non-White settlers, much less women, in a fully hostile place where the chances of surviving, much less thriving, are extremely low. It’s not just the constantly life-threatening elements that need to be overcome. It seems that Adelaide is not the only one that came to Montana with secrets to hide. Everyone has something that they best conceal. Combining them can only lead to a volatile outcome.

As always, LaVelle is amazing, conjuring a cast of characters that take your breath away. “Lone Women” segments are short, propelling the narrative, while never leaving the reader with the vaguest idea about what may come next. There is a whole lot to learn about what was really going on in the Wild West, content that you were unlikely to learn during your Social Studies class.

Thanks to One World and NetGalley for the eARC.

This was my first encounter with Victor LaValle's writing, but "Lone Women" was a stunning introduction.

A unique blend of historical fiction with thriller/horror elements, the novel follows the journey of 31 year old Adelaide Henry after she leaves her home and her deceased parents in Redondo, California with all of her belongings and a heavy steamer trunk. Inspired by the story of another woman, she heads towards Montana to become a homesteader, or "lone woman". As a black woman in 1914 America, she has dealt with her fair share of difficulties - but her mysterious steamer trunk seems to weight the heaviest on her.

It's in Montana that we learn more about Adelaide as she slowly starts to make both friends and enemies with those around her. LaValle is able to develop a full town of residents, and I appreciated his natural introductions and characterizations of Grace and Sam, as well as Bertie Brown and Fiona Wong. There are unforced nods to topics of sexuality, race, and genderism that contribute to the story as a whole, and flesh out each of these individual and their backstories. There are also flashbacks to Adelaide's childhood as we learn more about the demons that haunt her, and what she must do to atone for her own mistakes.

LaValle's writing is gripping and atmospheric, and his pacing throughout the novel is superbly done. This would be a fantastic read around Halloween or - quit frankly - any time of year.

This is historical fiction at its horrific best!

In the 1900s while still settling the United States, there was a practice of “homesteading” where if you could live on a parcel and make it successful and productive, after 3 years that would become your own.

Adelaide Henry is running from her childhood home with nothing but a steamer trunk, escaping the fire she’s set and the horrors within, and headed to stake her claim on a parcel in Montana. Though locked with a heavy padlock, Adelaide is reluctant to let the trunk out of her sight. She’s headed to be a “lone woman” in a state that allows single women to try to stake a claim. But Montana is very different from California, and Adelaide is very different from everyone else settling in Montana. Adelaide has a horrific secret. One that causes death to those around her. Sometimes the devil you know refuses to let you go, and family history and secrets remain cumbersome chains around your neck.

Victor Lavalle has created a tense, atmospheric, historic romp through the early 1900s settlement adventure, but twisting his tale with horror filled images and creating terror filled moments with devils you will never see coming.

This is a fast paced, un-put-down-able adventure that will throw you through curves and spine tingling moments sure to please readers of multiple genres.

This was my first LaValle novel, and definitely will not be my last. Highly recommended for readers of historical fiction, fantasy, thrillers, horror and anyone who just loves a well written story! Not one to miss when released in March of 2023.

Thank you so much to #NetGalley, #RandomHousePublishingGroup, and of course #VictorLaValle, for extending this amazing ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

My full review will be posted on all my social media accounts, blog sites and retail stores upon release day.

What an interesting story! I wasn't expecting a feminist old-western, but I definitely got one in the very best way. The characters were enjoyable and the storyline was easy to follow. I easily became team Elizabeth once the story progressed.

I really enjoyed this one! I read Victor LaValle's "Changeling" awhile ago and liked it, but his new book "Lone Women" expands and improves upon his signature "adult fairytale plus horror" genre. There's a lot going on in this book-- homesteading, family relations, identity, race, sex, and class-- but with some horror elements. He makes it all work in this fast-moving, tightly written novel. I also quite enjoy his writing style; it's fairly economical but still descriptive, which often really plays up the more fantasy/horror aspects of the novel.

The only real criticism I have is that one (fairly minor) plotline went absolutely nowhere. I don't want to give too much away, as this novels works best if you go in with little knowledge, but it has to do with two people who seem to understand (and have respect for) the secret at the center of the novel. I think it could've been a good plot tool to understand a bit more about the secret. I had a lot of trouble envisioning what it was until the very end, when it suddenly began very clear. Then I wished I understood sooner!

But other than that, I highly recommend this book! It's a great read, particularly for spooky season, and I look forward to his next work.

This was a captivating historical novel that brought insight into the role of women, especially black women in the settlement of the west, Montana especially. It also gives a picture of the ways that birth defects and mental illness were handled. Verging on a horror story, I think it portrays the reality of the times with a slightly macabre tone. The book captured my attention, made me “feel” the tension, and was a great read. And I must admit that the quote, “A Woman is a Mule” will haunt me for a while. The reader will learn a lot, feel a lot, and understand those times much better.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the Advanced Review Copy.

Adelaide Henry has spent her full 31 years living with her parents on their farm in California. But after the murder of her parents, Adelaide sets fire to the only home she’s ever known and makes her way to Montana to start a new life. She has few possessions, most notably the large steamer trunk filled with something very heavy and very secret. Adelaide is one of only two Black women in her new rural Montana community, and though she makes some friends, she still feels like an outsider. Her deep, dark secret inhibits her, and the harsh weather as winter approaches makes life a daily struggle. Eventually, though, Adelaide’s secret will have to come out – no matter how it affects her community.

Lone Women starts with a bang: Adelaide’s parents are dead, and before people find their bodies, she must leave her family home in flames and flee California for a new refuge: Montana. Already, the book feels like a thriller and there’s an air of mystery about it: Did Adelaide murder her parents? Why? What’s in her abnormally heavy steamer trunk that’s she’s traveling with? Adelaide is a woman with secrets, and on her way to Montana, she meets others who seem to have secrets of their own: the Mudge family, consisting of a mother and her four blind teenage sons. When they disappear, Adelaide worries it’s her fault – again adding to the mystery.

Adelaide feels isolated for much of the book. Not only were her family considered “queer folk” where she grew up, she’s also now alone in a very rural area of Montana. Her closest neighbor is many miles away, and the nearest town is even farther out and quite small itself. Beyond the physical isolation, Adelaide is also guarding some secrets, making it hard for her to let anyone in. Eventually she does, and this leads to a theme that runs throughout the novel of found family and the importance of connection. Adelaide befriends Grace Price and her son Sam, as well as Bertie Brown (the only other Black woman around) and her partner Fiona Wong (herself Chinese-American). They make a solid friend group, though those bonds will be tested from time to time.

Even with that heartwarming aspect to Lone Women, the horror and thriller sides guide the tone. There are four sources of terror at play: the physical distance expanding around them; the harsh climate of a Montana moving into winter; the people stealing from, harming, and even killing Adelaide’s neighbors; and that deep, dark secret locked in Adelaide’s steamer trunk. Later, there’s another kind of evil our characters must battle. Some of the horror comes in the form of the “real,” while others are more supernatural in nature. In makes for a complex novel; Adelaide is battling terror on all fronts.

The story builds up slowly, gradually weaving in the unsettling and the monstrous. Themes of racism, identity, and loss of family also come into play, and even a ghost town – with literal ghosts – makes an appearance. Even with those darker themes, Lone Women is a quick-paced and easy read. Humor and the occasional anachronistic description by the narrator keeps it somewhat light and modern, despite its setting in 1915.

By the end, Lone Women highlights a powerful message of family and community. It’s equal parts horror and a tale of women finding a place in the world, no matter who tries to put up barriers around them.

Lone Women is an empowering novel about breaking free of the boundaries around you and building a sisterhood despite the horrors life throws your way. It’s a different kind of horror story than I’d expected, but one that I fully enjoyed. This was only my first time reading Victor LaValle, and I look forward to exploring his other novels and novellas.

* Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and One World Books and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

* Note: a slightly longer version of this review will be published on my blog on March 20, 2023; I will add a link to it then.

I've never read a Western before, let alone a historical fiction horror Western. I'm not quite sure how to rate this one. It pulled me right in, and I surprised myself by digging the western setting. Although I guess I enjoyed the horror too. I was really loving this book but as it went on I was loving it less. I kinda wished it had stayed a Western. I think maybe I was just too sleepy while reading and I lost some plot points. I blame myself! So bc it was a mind bending take and totally unlike anything I've ever read before, I'm going with 5 glorious stars.

Which Victor LaValle book did you read first? Mine was The Changeling. Brutal, devastating, ambitious, and incredibly weird. It made me reassess what a literary horror novel could be. I can’t wait to see the forthcoming TV adaptation.

So of course, as soon as I had the opportunity to read LaValle’s latest book, Lone Women, I dived right in. I was immediately welcomed into the strange world of Adelaide Henry, as she is fleeing her childhood home, literally burning it to the ground. Along with a suspiciously heavy trunk, she moves to Montana, to start a new life, and cultivate a plot of land. But Adelaide is laden with secrets she is desperate to keep dormant, and when she unintentionally evokes the wrath of a few people, things quickly get out of hand.

For some bizarre reason, I’m frequently hesitant to read historical fiction; Lone Women being set in early twentieth-century America. But a good writer knows that great characters transcend the constraints of time, and Victor has certainly achieved this with Adelaide et al. As a single black woman, Adelaide faces many of the same challenges still around over 100 years later. She is tenacious, yet deeply troubled, and I love her. Her initial escape triggers such an exciting trail of events; I raced through this book in about three days.

I don’t want to give too much away, because the way this book unfolded is why I loved it so much. But I will say Lone Women is a perfect blend of historical and horror fiction, with incredibly well-crafted characters, and an incredibly strong sense of place and time. It is such an exciting time to be a LaValle fan, you guys are going to love this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victor LaValle for the advanced copy.

This is my first Victor LaValle book.

The cover caught my eye with its muted colors, vast open plains featuring a single woman as the central focus. With a title of Lone Women, yet there was only one woman, I was curious. After reading the book description I was even more eager to read the story.

The opening scene of a grown daughter being casually carted off on a wagon from her family home as if going on holiday while the house slowly goes up in flames as her parents lay dead in their bed, left me wanting to know more. Mentions of the weight and size and how protective Adelaide was of her steamer trunk made me more curious about what could possibly be inside. Setbacks aside, Adelaide made it to her claim in Montana where she meets other women that like herself are alone. When first learning what is in the steamer trunk, I was a bit taken back because I didn’t see how it fit into the setting but I kept going. This thing, the way it was described brought a whole different twist to the book.
Towards the end I had to stop reading for the night because I felt like two incredibly different books hand been merged. The next morning I reread that chapter and pushed on but even after finishing the book, I still don’t feel that it matches. On my kindle it was at 88% through the book when I felt this happened.
Who gave Adelaide a drink in the small hut in the mountains? What did her vision with the trees and California home have to do with the story? What is the other language that was spoken to Elizabeth? The book did a great job with loose ends of the characters but things that happened in the mountain leave questions.

Overall I thought it was an odd combination of western meets horror/sci fi but at the same time it left me thinking about the story. I will look for more books by Victor LaValle because I enjoyed the twist of the unexpected.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

I really enjoyed this novel. Victor LaValle definitely is a new author for me.

It's hard for me to describe other than the book is not what I expected. Very good book.