Member Reviews
This is the second book I've read from Ms. Noelle W. Ihli (after Run On Red) and I can say... this is waaaaay much better!
I rarely read Historical Fiction — the last time was probably around 2019 — because of how it makes me feel most of the time, bored and sometimes not interested (please don't come at me it's just not my choice for reading). So, I requested a copy of this thinking, "Oh, okay Ms. Noelle is going to release another book. The title and cover looks interesting. Run On Red was fun, I'll go request this one too." I was granted one thanks to Netgalley and Dynamite Books, that's when I realized that it's based on true events and it's a historical-thriller vibe, not just thriller.
I was skeptical at first, but I haven't read it yet, so why not give it a try right? NOW I'M HAPPY I DID! This is a 5⭐ read for me.
Yes, it was hard to memorize each character and which group they belonged to. Add the fact that I was going thru a reading slump when I started reading this. So it was really a struggle for me at first, but after a few chapters and when the characters grew on me, I was flipping page after page after page. It was unbelievable that this is based on true events. That THIS really happened before. I was heartbroken and wanted to cry most of the time.
Ms. Noelle really outdid herself for this one. Hands up.
I don’t know what I was expecting to going into this book, but I was very pleasantly surprised with how moving, educational, and truly awful this was. I have never heard of the Mountain Meadows Massacre but I am absolutely horrified. This story was a beautiful tribute to what all those families went through.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.
None Left to Tell is a haunting depiction of the Mountain Meadows Massacre and its aftermath, centering the stories of women. You can’t look away once you start reading, even as it breaks your heart.
I loved the lush prose and great level of historical detail in every chapter. Watching history unfold through a character you grow to love is hard and poignant, I felt her characters strongly and had to hold back tears many times. This is a story that needs to be told and brought to light,
A very interesting and well written book about a time/event that is not part of mainstream historical fiction. I enjoyed the characters and appreciated learning more about this time in US history and the tensions between various groups of people. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.
Definitely not a thriller or a historical thriller. Pure historical fiction. I thought when I was requesting this it was going to be something way different.
Still well researched and written
I started this books in hopes of a page turning thriller. However, was surprised that it reads more as a historical piece. Don't let that detour you as I did find the book overall to be worth the read. Very informative and the attention to detail is top notch. Noelle Ihli is always a must grab for me not matter the content. She keeps her readers on the edge of their seat. Based on True Events ..this is the story of the Mountain Meadow Massacre”
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity!
I absolutely loved None Left to Tell by Noelle Ihli. The writing was captivating from start to finish, blending historical detail with a thrilling pace. The characters, especially the women whose lives are intertwined with the Mountain Meadows Massacre, were richly developed and deeply moving. The way Ihli wove together personal stories and historical events kept me completely engaged, and the emotional depth of the novel left a lasting impact. It's a haunting, powerful read that stayed with me long after I finished it.
Thank you Noelle Ihli, NetGalley, and Dynamite books for the advanced e-book copy to read and review.
I went to request this after a rave review from another reader and I’m glad I did! Other than saying how much they enjoyed the book, I went to in not knowing more than it was based on an actual, historical event. I’ve several books TBR from this author but this is the first I’ve read.
I don’t mind historical books but they’re definitely not my go to. I do enjoy getting out of my comfort zone and therefore was interested in this story which is based on true events, the Mountain Meadows Massacre in Utah.
The author did a great job of weaving the history into the book and brining in her notes and history at the end.
Thank you to the author, Noelle Ihli, the publisher, Dynamite Books and NetGalley, for an advanced epub of this book for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Silly me! Hold on, I need to breathe for a minute......
Here I thought that "Gray After Dark" and "Ask For Andrea" were homerun thrillers by Noelle Ihli, but then into my lap falls the book "None Left to Tell" and I was not expecting this at all from this author.
None Left to Tell is not quite a thriller but a thriller-Ish Historical Fiction with let's just say a disturbing subject matter with triggers. None Left to Tell is based off of the real-life events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre that occurred in Utah in the year 1857.
Sadly, one hundred and twenty men, women and children; over half were women who were shot or severely beaten to death.
This story is being told by the author who shares in the preface that she is a descendant of someone with ties to the massacre.
It's about three women and their story of what happened as they were connected in a singular life altering event, in one of the most brutal mass slayings in American history. Only a very small handful of children under the age of six years old were spared with the belief that the horrific awful stories about what they witnessed and were terrorized with in that time burned into their brain would never be believed or retold. But they did remember.
This book is best to go in blind to read with just knowing the basics and that there are trigger warnings.
Noelle Ihli is a masterful storyteller, you will feel captivated, angry, sad, devastated and deeply moved and feel this book and the awful events deep into your core and you will never forget the pain and suffering of the terror that occurred during the Mountain Meadows Massacre.
Heartbreaking to say the least and I'm sad I wasn't educated about this in school. What else are we leaving out about important events in our history.
When I seen Noelle Ihli was coming out with another book I jumped at the possibility of getting the arc to read. I really enjoyed some of her other books including "Run on Red" and "Ask Andrea." However, I was disappointed that when I requested it was being marketed as a "thriller" and this is more a historical fiction. It has recently been changed to say a "historical thriller" but I do not understand the thriller aspect of this at all. This was unlike the author's usual writing and it might of very well been a me issue, since I was expecting the "put me on the edge of my seat" thrillers I have been used to with her writing.
Even after reading the synopsis, None Left to Tell was still not quite what I was expecting. Noelle Ihli has written such a passionate, heartbreaking story from an unspeakable tragedy I never would have known about had she not.
Reading this book, you can tell how much research and care went into it writing it. Especially reading the afterword, which details how much accuracy it entails and how Noelle herself is related to some of the characters.
This is definitely more of a historical fiction than a typical thriller, but even so it had me on the edge of my seat dying to know what was happening just as a thriller would.
There was so much heart poured into this story, it was full of incredible detail, and so emotionally driven.
If you, like me, had never heard of the Mountain Meadows Massacre, this book will change you. It shines a huge light on an especially dark time in both American history, and the LDS Church. While being very heavy and hard to read at times, it’s absolutely left me with a lot to think about that will stay with me for some time.
Thank you to Noelle Ihli and Xpresso Tours for this eARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 10/11/24
I would like to start off this review by thanking Dynamite Books for allowing me to read this book, None Left to Tell by Noelle West Ihli, via Netgalley. All opinions following are my own, and the review will be available today, October 7, 2024, on my Instagram linked below.
The premise of this historical thriller is the re-telling of the Meadow Mountain Massacre. As it is a fictional retelling, information is, at times exaggerated, left out, or told out of order to help with the continuity of the story. However, the novel was historically accurate based off research I did independently.
The Meadow Mountain Massacre occurred in September 1857 between a wagon party on their way to California and a group of Mormons in Utah. The Mormons, along with a Native American Tribe whom they manipulated, attacked the wagon party and killed 120 men, women, and children. There were only 17 Survivors, all children under the age of 6, who the Mormons believed weren't old enough to remember what occurred.
This novel follows three main characters, all on different sides of this tragedy. The first character is named Kristina Huff. She is the mother of four children and is in the wagon party. She feels enormous pressure to help her four children survive after the perilous journey results in many devastating losses. The second character is a young Native American woman named Sally who is the fourth wife of a chief who agreed to help with a cattle raid on the wagon train. Finally, the third and last one that tells their perspective is Lucy Robison. She is a Mormon woman who feels a lot of hatred toward the "Gentile" Community for forcing her family to move from New York to Utah. She also experiences a lot of devastating losses within her community and family along the way.
This book started out slow as all the background information and stories of the characters and their respective communities were established. Because of this and other books by this author that were much different, I wasn't sure how to feel. However, around a third of the way through this novel, the story sped up, and it never slowed down. It became evident why the background information was so necessary. The interwoven stories were so beautifully tragic, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the characters. This made me give the book five stars. It also made me realize that the author is incredibly talented because she is able to write and give voices to several different genres.
All-in-all, I am so grateful to be able to have read this beautiful story about an important moment in history that has been left out of many history books.
To put it frankly, this book was amazing. The fictionalization of a very true and horrible event was beautiful. As stated in the beginning, the events of the Mountain Meadows Massacre are rarely spoken of, and I think Ihli tells the story well. I have a similar background to that of the author and felt very emotionally invested in this story and all its characters. I was surprised to learn just how much of the story was based on fact and records kept. I loved the short chapters, and while the book changes point-of-view regularly, it was easy to keep track of who was speaking.
This book was a beautiful and emotional read and I commend the author for bringing such humanity to events that are often swept under the rug.
I gave this book a 4/5 ⭐️. I have never read a historical fiction book And it was definitely different. I really liked reading this book because there was some history that I had no idea about. The story was really sad, but very important to tell. I do wish that there was more explanations on the characters, because I didn’t really know much about them, since there were so many of them. I do recommend reading this book if you want to know a little bit more about history.
Wow, Noelle Ihli. Just WOW!
You continue to bring historical events to life (and ones we didn't even know about).
In Ihli's latest book (yet another one this year after Gray after Dark, which was fantastic btw), Ihli details the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. Haven't heard of it? Neither did I.
The author starts the book but noting that the five-day attack in September 1857 was the deadliest massacre on US soil before September 11, 2001. Say what?!
None Left to Tell recounts this heinous tale through the eyes of the different groups affected: the American Indians, the gentiles, and the Mormons. This story will grab your heart and not let go.
My only question to Ihli is...is 2025 the year of 3 published books from her? Because sign me up!
I have read a number of Noelle Ihli's books and really love them. This one is a departure from her other books, and also fantastic!! It is a thriller based on true events. This book tells the story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. If you have not heard of it, neither had I, but you will not regret reading this and learning about the events described in the book for yourself. Not only was this suspenseful, but incredibly emotional. Ilhi did an incredible job of writing a story, that weaved elements of history into relatable characters. This book will stay with me for many years to come, and has me looking for more information about the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I wanted to rush to get to the end, but also wanted to be sure I took in everything I was reading. Definitely a 5/5 for me!
#NoneLefttoTell #NetGalley
Heartbreaking, heavy, and captivating. Noelle steps out of her thrilling role to tell the story of a terrible massacre in Utah and the waves that started and followed it. This book tugged at every string my heart could handle and I would do it all again. Beautifully written and shows what America was really like in the 1800's.
This was different then other books by Noelle W. Ihli and different then i normally read but I was surprised by how it sucked me in! It did start off a bit slow and I got characters confused sometimes but I couldn't wait to read on. Being a true story it was one that was definitely needing telling and I'm glad I was able to learn so much! Great writing overall and a great story!
I love Noelle Ihli books. While this one is not like her normal thrillers it was still very good. I loved the multiple POVs and how I became so invested in each character. It was very emotional and gripping. It's just wild to think this is based off true events. Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.
I really wanted to like this book and it sounded like it would be right up my alley. However I just couldn't get into it and found reading it a chore. I battled for a few days, but it was very slow going for me and I just wasn't interested in finishing. Unfortunatley I DNF at less than 50%.
I'm not going to review on goodreads or amazon at this stage, but I'll keep the book and try again at another time and see if I can get into it when I'm in a different frame of mind.