I am letting others know that I enjoyed this novel but am advising them not to look at spoilers or synopses, as it was rewarding to let the mystery remain for a while at the start,

The opening was so eerie and intriguing that I kept going even though I had not intended to read the book right then, and it ended up being a thoughtful novel that developed in ways that were not what I'd expected. I have enjoyed this author's previous work and look forward to his next. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for this arc of Lone Women.

This was a great read….wildly original, thought provoking , with lots of forward momentum. Definitely interested in reading more of LaValle’s work—I was only familiar with—and a huge fan of his graphic novel Frankenstein update!

How does Victor LaValle do this! I am mad at myself for gulping this book down, but I could not slow myself. At one point I had to say go slower, go slower, you are getting to the end, and I was not able to slow down. I needed a great horror book and LaValle per usual delivers. The characters are so damn good. The writing is lyrical. The flow is top-notch. The setting is perfect (Montana in the 1900s). The ending is too. I got nothing to quibble about. I would warn people though that this is horror novel, so there is some blood and other things that may make you squeamish as a reader. 

"Lone Women" follows 31 year old Adelaide Henry. Adelaide seems to be on the run from something. Leaving behind her family farm and the secrets it holds, she leaves with nothing but a traveling bag and a steamer trunk. She decides to leave California for the state of Montana because she has read clippings before about how a lone woman can end up settling and gaining land in that state. And she hopes it is far away enough to hide her secrets. Of course, things don't go as planned, and Adelaide ends up having to decide to tell the truth of her family to her new friends or keep running.

Adelaide was great. I felt for her. A woman in her thirties who was tied to her parents (unwilling) because of a dark secret. A Black (or Negro woman as she is referred to in the story) has very few options in 1914 in America, but she is determined to still go on, though part of her wonders why she is bothering. Her traveling by ship to Seattle and then by train to Montana shows how tough she is. 

The other characters we meet, Bertie Brown and Fiona and Grace and her child Sam are wonderful. I loved Bertie and Fiona and wanted a short story about them and how they met. Grace and Sam and the secrets they shared were a surprise, but of course you realize this is why they were drawn to Adelaide and she to them. I am still surprised that LaValle is able to bring all of these people to life in just a little over 200 pages. Not a word is wasted. We also get some other characters who you learn to worry about since some learn Adelaide's secret, like the Mudges, and then the Reed's

The writing was fantastic. At times it may seem a bit repetitive, but it's because Adelaide is left haunted by the words her mother did and did not say to her. And at times, her mother's ghost walks besides her. 

The setting of Montana in this time period was bleak. It seems like anything could and would kill you. And you can see how many flocked to the Reed's and the couple's supposed charity. But of course all charity comes with strings. I also thought it was great that LaValle is able to show how Adelaide how to carry herself differently in Montana since she was Black. Even though all of the people she meets at one point are white. I was surprised a bit by her "romance" in the book because I wondered how something like that would have been taken back then. In the end though it ended up not mattering much. 

The ending was great. I loved the idea behind it and smiled. Fantastic read! 5 stars!

Loved it! This book gave me "Midnight Mass" vibes with some great representation included. This was something that I might not have normally picked up, but I am glad that I did.