Call number
FIC LAV
Collection
Genres
Publication
One World (2023), 304 pages
Description
"Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It's locked at all times. Because when the trunk is opened, people around her start to disappear... The year is 1914, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, and forced her to flee her hometown of Redondo, California, in a hellfire rush, ready to make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will be one of the "lone women" taking advantage of the government's offer of free land for those who can cultivate it-except that Adelaide isn't alone. And the secret she's tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing keeping her alive"--
User reviews
LibraryThing member parasolofdoom
Western Horror full of twists and turns? Obviously this was amazing.
I LOVED The Changeling and The Ballad of Black Tom so I was pretty excited for an opportunity to read this early. It ended being my favorite LaValle so far!
Honestly this book is best entered blind so I'm not going to describe the
We open with a scene of Adelaide Henry setting her home on fire with her dead parents inside and heading out to a claim in Montana with a mysterious and unnaturally heavy trunk. It's a slow burn to begin with but with just enough tantalizing horror hints and twists to keep you glued until things really ramp up.
Twisty and creepy, great atmosphere and well-written characters and setting. Highly recommend if you're already a LaValle fan or looking for a place to start.
I LOVED The Changeling and The Ballad of Black Tom so I was pretty excited for an opportunity to read this early. It ended being my favorite LaValle so far!
Honestly this book is best entered blind so I'm not going to describe the
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plot much. I didn't even read a synopsis and I was thrilled with how much I was stunned by events.We open with a scene of Adelaide Henry setting her home on fire with her dead parents inside and heading out to a claim in Montana with a mysterious and unnaturally heavy trunk. It's a slow burn to begin with but with just enough tantalizing horror hints and twists to keep you glued until things really ramp up.
Twisty and creepy, great atmosphere and well-written characters and setting. Highly recommend if you're already a LaValle fan or looking for a place to start.
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LibraryThing member SpaceandSorcery
We meet Adelaide Henry as she’s getting ready to leave her parents’ farm, but we quickly understand that there is something ominous in her departure, because she’s pouring gasoline all over the house, and she looks on the lifeless forms of her parents before setting it all ablaze. As a story
Leaving her native California for the endlessly open spaces of Montana, Adelaide reaches the claim she’s been granted by the government: if, in the next three years, she will manage to make it fruitful, it will be hers forever. But the life of a homesteader is a harsh one, and Adelaide has to deal with the added difficulties of being a lone woman and of being black in a place where she stands out very conspicuously - and then there’s the mystery of the trunk, from which at times come strange noises. As she makes a few tentative friendships, Adelaide also suffers the consequences of the trunk’s secret, a burden that her family has borne for a long time and one that has now come into the open with unpredictable, bloody consequences that might destroy what little foothold she started to get into the community…
I have to admit being of two minds about this book: the premise and the first part of the story proved to be very intriguing and I kept on reading propelled by the dual narrative threads of Adelaide’s battle with the hardships of her new life and of the horror kept at bay by the trunk’s lock. But after a while the novel’s fabric seemed to unravel somewhat, what with the addition of new characters and storylines that were not sufficiently explored and by the author’s choice of revealing the nature of the trunk’s contents far too soon. There is a great deal of foreboding attached to the trunk’s secret, particularly when we see Adelaide quite frantic in her constant checks about the lock’s integrity, and early on there seems to be a frightening connection between an apparent manumission of that lock and the disappearance of a group of people, particularly because Adelaide feels profoundly guilty about something she seems to have no control over.
My confusion increased when the themes of the homesteading, with all the added difficulties that a woman alone would encounter in such a situation, and of Adelaide’s integration into the community, were downplayed in favor of a few apparently disconnected scenes about town-hall events and dance meetings that felt more like distractions that integral parts of the story. Moreover, the thread about a family of robber/murderers, that should have served to raise the stakes, only added to my overall disorientation. And finally, learning about the horror held in check by the trunk proved a little anticlimactic, in part because the reveal happened too soon and in part because the disclosure about the being’s nature, which should have been the most intriguing mystery of the whole story, was offered with very little explanation.
I was captivated by Adelaide’s character development, her very human feelings of rebellion about the burden placed on her shoulders by family obligations - a burden often stressed by the recollection of her mother’s catchphrase about women being “mules” - and I could understand her dual feelings of relief and guilt when that burden seems to have been lifted, but on the other hand I wanted to see more of her efforts at homesteading and survival in a land whose isolation and harsh climate could prove quite deadly to its inhabitants. Unfortunately there was precious little of this, and I felt somewhat cheated by the absence of what should have been one of the main themes of this novel.
Other characters are sadly underdeveloped and a few of them behave in ways I could not understand; there are a few plot holes in this story: the town’s leading lady who turns from active philanthropist to lynching mob’s leader at the drop of a hat; the woman consumed by the need to find her father’s grave, who seems to have forgotten the quest by the book’s end; the mother who dresses her daughter as a boy and treats her accordingly, with no explanation about the underlying reason, and so forth.
It saddens me when a good premise seems to be squandered in such a way, since Lone Women felt to me like a missed opportunity. I don’t regret having read it, but in the end it was not the book for me.
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start, it’s indeed one of the most intriguing I ever encountered, particularly when the detail of a heavy trunk is presented: it’s immediately clear that there is something important attached to that trunk, even more so when we see Adelaide constantly checking its lock, afraid that someone might be curious about its contents.Leaving her native California for the endlessly open spaces of Montana, Adelaide reaches the claim she’s been granted by the government: if, in the next three years, she will manage to make it fruitful, it will be hers forever. But the life of a homesteader is a harsh one, and Adelaide has to deal with the added difficulties of being a lone woman and of being black in a place where she stands out very conspicuously - and then there’s the mystery of the trunk, from which at times come strange noises. As she makes a few tentative friendships, Adelaide also suffers the consequences of the trunk’s secret, a burden that her family has borne for a long time and one that has now come into the open with unpredictable, bloody consequences that might destroy what little foothold she started to get into the community…
I have to admit being of two minds about this book: the premise and the first part of the story proved to be very intriguing and I kept on reading propelled by the dual narrative threads of Adelaide’s battle with the hardships of her new life and of the horror kept at bay by the trunk’s lock. But after a while the novel’s fabric seemed to unravel somewhat, what with the addition of new characters and storylines that were not sufficiently explored and by the author’s choice of revealing the nature of the trunk’s contents far too soon. There is a great deal of foreboding attached to the trunk’s secret, particularly when we see Adelaide quite frantic in her constant checks about the lock’s integrity, and early on there seems to be a frightening connection between an apparent manumission of that lock and the disappearance of a group of people, particularly because Adelaide feels profoundly guilty about something she seems to have no control over.
My confusion increased when the themes of the homesteading, with all the added difficulties that a woman alone would encounter in such a situation, and of Adelaide’s integration into the community, were downplayed in favor of a few apparently disconnected scenes about town-hall events and dance meetings that felt more like distractions that integral parts of the story. Moreover, the thread about a family of robber/murderers, that should have served to raise the stakes, only added to my overall disorientation. And finally, learning about the horror held in check by the trunk proved a little anticlimactic, in part because the reveal happened too soon and in part because the disclosure about the being’s nature, which should have been the most intriguing mystery of the whole story, was offered with very little explanation.
I was captivated by Adelaide’s character development, her very human feelings of rebellion about the burden placed on her shoulders by family obligations - a burden often stressed by the recollection of her mother’s catchphrase about women being “mules” - and I could understand her dual feelings of relief and guilt when that burden seems to have been lifted, but on the other hand I wanted to see more of her efforts at homesteading and survival in a land whose isolation and harsh climate could prove quite deadly to its inhabitants. Unfortunately there was precious little of this, and I felt somewhat cheated by the absence of what should have been one of the main themes of this novel.
Other characters are sadly underdeveloped and a few of them behave in ways I could not understand; there are a few plot holes in this story: the town’s leading lady who turns from active philanthropist to lynching mob’s leader at the drop of a hat; the woman consumed by the need to find her father’s grave, who seems to have forgotten the quest by the book’s end; the mother who dresses her daughter as a boy and treats her accordingly, with no explanation about the underlying reason, and so forth.
It saddens me when a good premise seems to be squandered in such a way, since Lone Women felt to me like a missed opportunity. I don’t regret having read it, but in the end it was not the book for me.
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LibraryThing member brianinbuffalo
[4.25] LaValle has brilliantly demonstrated what happens when an author blends horror with western adventures and social commentary. I loved “Lone Women” – and I’m typically not a fan of the horror genre. The book is dark, suspenseful, imaginative, occasionally violent and ultimately
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riveting. The eclectic cast of characters offers a unique glimpse at life on the American frontier. Show Less
LibraryThing member thewanderingjew
Lone Women, Victor LaValle, author
In the early 1900’s, a lone black woman sets out from the California homestead of her parents, Eleanor and Glenville Henry, to homestead alone, to settle and work on land in Montana that the government would happily transfer to her, although she was a
Arriving in Big Sandy, Montana, after a long and arduous journey, via Seattle, still in possession of her heavy steamer trunk that was securely locked, she saw some of the townsfolk that had homesteaded there successfully. Mrs. Jerrine Reed was the head of the Busy Bees and the Suffragettes. She met every train. Fred Harndon, who worked for the Bear Paw Mountaineer writing the local news, was there too, looking for newsworthy copy. Still, no one paid much attention to her, so she felt relatively unbothered by her isolation and “difference”. As time passed, some residents came to her aid, or she would not have survived. She needed food and wood to heat her cabin. She had brought none.
On her trip to Montana, she met the Mudges, a mother and her four blind sons. They disappeared before the end of the journey, only to resurface later. She met Grace and her child, Sam. She met Bertie, the only other black woman, and Fiona, who lived with Bertie and was of Chinese background. She attended the Opera House of Mrs. Reed, the wealthiest family in town. These few people, plus a few others, will highlight all of life’s conflicts. They will be deftly introduced by the author, and all of the issues will be resolved one way or another, by LaValle, so that neither the horror or the happiness will seem unusual. He blends the commonplace with the bizarre, seamlessly.
The Mudges are evil. Bertie and Fiona’s relationship is suspect. Grace is a teacher, and a fearsome protector of her child. What happened to her husband? Her child is shunned. Why? Who is Elizabeth? There are many secrets revealed, exposing human frailties, human kindness and human cruelty. Vigilante justice exists. Do the townspeople have a moral compass or the appearance of superficial virtue? Who and what is the real monster? Man’s inhumanity to man was on full display in this remote hinterland, but so was the milk of human kindness.
By enlightening the reader on the history of women’s struggles, racial injustice, immigration issues and vigilante justice in the past, the author has also expertly introduced the same issues that still exist today. Those who march to the beat of another drummer or come from another place or look different than expected are often exposed to the foolishness of our rash judgment. Perhaps we need to step back and think a bi more, before we react and pass judgment.
In the early 1900’s, a lone black woman sets out from the California homestead of her parents, Eleanor and Glenville Henry, to homestead alone, to settle and work on land in Montana that the government would happily transfer to her, although she was a
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“Negro”, and a single woman, as long as she stayed for three years and improved it. The land had no creature comforts and the hardship she would face was something she could not imagine, but she left anyway, taking only a large and heavy steamer trunk. What was in the trunk? Did she pack items for survival? Was she prepared to live alone in the wilderness? Adelaide Henry was determined to leave, but not before destroying all evidence of her having lived in the farmhouse for 31 years. What would compel a woman living on a prosperous farm, producing Santa Rosa plums, to flee her home? What was she running from, or toward, and why? Arriving in Big Sandy, Montana, after a long and arduous journey, via Seattle, still in possession of her heavy steamer trunk that was securely locked, she saw some of the townsfolk that had homesteaded there successfully. Mrs. Jerrine Reed was the head of the Busy Bees and the Suffragettes. She met every train. Fred Harndon, who worked for the Bear Paw Mountaineer writing the local news, was there too, looking for newsworthy copy. Still, no one paid much attention to her, so she felt relatively unbothered by her isolation and “difference”. As time passed, some residents came to her aid, or she would not have survived. She needed food and wood to heat her cabin. She had brought none.
On her trip to Montana, she met the Mudges, a mother and her four blind sons. They disappeared before the end of the journey, only to resurface later. She met Grace and her child, Sam. She met Bertie, the only other black woman, and Fiona, who lived with Bertie and was of Chinese background. She attended the Opera House of Mrs. Reed, the wealthiest family in town. These few people, plus a few others, will highlight all of life’s conflicts. They will be deftly introduced by the author, and all of the issues will be resolved one way or another, by LaValle, so that neither the horror or the happiness will seem unusual. He blends the commonplace with the bizarre, seamlessly.
The Mudges are evil. Bertie and Fiona’s relationship is suspect. Grace is a teacher, and a fearsome protector of her child. What happened to her husband? Her child is shunned. Why? Who is Elizabeth? There are many secrets revealed, exposing human frailties, human kindness and human cruelty. Vigilante justice exists. Do the townspeople have a moral compass or the appearance of superficial virtue? Who and what is the real monster? Man’s inhumanity to man was on full display in this remote hinterland, but so was the milk of human kindness.
By enlightening the reader on the history of women’s struggles, racial injustice, immigration issues and vigilante justice in the past, the author has also expertly introduced the same issues that still exist today. Those who march to the beat of another drummer or come from another place or look different than expected are often exposed to the foolishness of our rash judgment. Perhaps we need to step back and think a bi more, before we react and pass judgment.
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LibraryThing member sturlington
Historical horror about homesteading women in historical Montana. I always enjoy the idea of LaValle's stories but feel the execution is always just off the mark somehow. Readable enough, anyhow.
LibraryThing member maryreinert
This is a strange book - historical fiction with a bit of horror thrown in. Adelaide Henry is a black woman with a deep secret. The opening scene shows her burning her home with the dead bodies of her parents inside. She then leaves California with a very heavy trunk and heads to Montana where she
The story leads Adelaide to a remote place in Montana where she meets her distant neighbor, Grace and her son Sam. Very gradually, the reader learns what could possibly be in the heavy trunk -- her sister, a monster twin.
There are parts of the story that are really outlandish - a wealthy couple who build an opera house in the nearby town, the violent attack on a young man by the monster. However, it is a page turner. The ending may be a bit pat, but it fits with the weird story. Overall, a good read - I would read more by this author.
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can homestead. Along the way she meets a very strange family of four blind brothers and their very unfriendly mother, the Mudges.The story leads Adelaide to a remote place in Montana where she meets her distant neighbor, Grace and her son Sam. Very gradually, the reader learns what could possibly be in the heavy trunk -- her sister, a monster twin.
There are parts of the story that are really outlandish - a wealthy couple who build an opera house in the nearby town, the violent attack on a young man by the monster. However, it is a page turner. The ending may be a bit pat, but it fits with the weird story. Overall, a good read - I would read more by this author.
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LibraryThing member clrichm
I enjoyed the heart of this story--fear and demonization of the "other," from racism and sexuality to literal monster--but the execution felt off to me. There were simply so many moving parts that on more than one occasion, I found myself distractedly wondering when we might find our way back to
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the actual horror in this horror novel. And there were tangents that left me mystified about why they were even there. The Mexican (presumably) couple who fed and worshipped Elizabeth? The ghost men in the kilns? The twice-mentioned ghost of Grace's husband, who appeared to Sam and to Adelaide but then disappeared from the narrative? It felt like these things made the story wander more than they provided added color. And the ending was strange: how did the story spread in the way it did, and what was it about the tale that could have leaked from the opera house that would have attracted women on their own? I understand from the acknowledgments that the author's wife assisted with the ending, which might explain the sudden neatness of the conclusions. I wonder what sort of ending the author might have delivered without the outside input, considering his apparent fondness for loose threads left along the way. Show Less
LibraryThing member KallieGrace
Wow. That was phenomenal. Starting with Montana, where I'm from, this book has it exactly right, from the godless wind to the helpful but independent neighbors to the outright racism. The racism is certainly not everywhere, but where it is it doesn't hide. And things have only changed in appearance
The story is incredible, with a Lovecraftian monster lurking behind the pages for a good chunk of the book, and amazing characters. I read this in one day, and it's a new favorite. Shout out to my old home town Big Timber that found it's way into a mention here too.
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in the last century, not necessarily substance.The story is incredible, with a Lovecraftian monster lurking behind the pages for a good chunk of the book, and amazing characters. I read this in one day, and it's a new favorite. Shout out to my old home town Big Timber that found it's way into a mention here too.
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
Instantly engrossing - this tale of the old American West is told through the eyes of a 31 year old Black women who is fleeing from her home in California. All she has with her is a small handbag and an enormous steamer trunk that she never ever opens. It's 1915 when she arrives in Montana and she
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lays claim to a small secluded spot of land high in the hills and miles from other people. The landscape, the weather, and the people are immediately harsher than Adelaide anticipated - but luckily for her she befriends a lone widow woman and her son. When the going gets tough, really tough - they might have to depend on the horrors that lurk in Adelaide's steamer trunk. Part historical, all horror - this book grabs you from the get go! Show Less
LibraryThing member TobinElliott
I see all the glowing reviews for this one, but I have to admit, while I enjoyed this read, I didn't love it.
There's a whole lot of good here. The setting (once Lavalle gets us through the mostly unnecessary leadup to the arrival there), the mystery of the trunk and the additional mystery of
Lavalle takes his time—too much time, I believe—setting up the mysteries, the key players, the town...and, for a reasonably compact story, he's got a lot going on. Almost too much. This could have been—or maybe I just wanted it to be—a far more streamlined story.
I won't be the one to spoil what's going on here. I went into this novel cold, and I think that's the best approach.
But, it just feels like Lavalle wants this book to be a lot of things, but he wraps those things around a story that's reasonably light, so he has to add a bunch of subplots to beef it up, and it ends up somewhat messy in the end. It didn't quite scratch the itch I felt it was going for.
There's a whole lot of good here. The setting (once Lavalle gets us through the mostly unnecessary leadup to the arrival there), the mystery of the trunk and the additional mystery of
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Adelaide Henry.Lavalle takes his time—too much time, I believe—setting up the mysteries, the key players, the town...and, for a reasonably compact story, he's got a lot going on. Almost too much. This could have been—or maybe I just wanted it to be—a far more streamlined story.
I won't be the one to spoil what's going on here. I went into this novel cold, and I think that's the best approach.
But, it just feels like Lavalle wants this book to be a lot of things, but he wraps those things around a story that's reasonably light, so he has to add a bunch of subplots to beef it up, and it ends up somewhat messy in the end. It didn't quite scratch the itch I felt it was going for.
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LibraryThing member booklove2
According to the acknowledgements here, Victor LaValle had not known that in the early 20th century, women who were unattached to a husband could claim land in the American west. Let alone Black women. I didn't know this either before reading this book, and this topic just seems ripe for about a
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billion novels. Where are they?!? This story of a single lady homesteader also has that Victor LaValle flavor to it. I really don't want to spoil any of the deets, as I love how things were slowly revealed by LaValle. I will say though, the biggest problem I had with this narrative is that since it is under 300 pages with very short chapters, it was difficult to really delve into some perspectives from other characters of the town of Big Sandy, Montana. If a novel is polyphonic then I prefer it to be much longer and detailed, rather than a few pages from a town of people. This is a swift narrative, so it's hard to give enough pagetime to many people. But also, since there are so few "single lady homesteader" books out there, I wouldn't have minded if LaValle tried writing a realistic one instead of giving his otherworldly spin to it, as I believe at this point, he does with all of his books. (This is the second book I have read from him.) But I liked this overall! Show Less
LibraryThing member nmele
An amazing novel, part Western, part horror, all impressive. Lone Women is also a redemption story which explores white supremacy and the struggle for not simply justice but also justice and freedom from male expectations. This was a suspenseful, fast-paced story with a wonderful catharsis.
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Well, this was an exciting read! One of my books that I read twice a day while my little Havanese eats. But, after her breakfast this morning, I brought this book into the living room and read it straight through! It's set in 1915 and Adelaide Henry is leaving her family's farm in California and
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setting out for Montana as a homesteader. Montana is the only state that allows "lone" women to homestead. She's traveling light with only a very heavy trunk that she keeps locked. Definitely recommended! Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Review of Advance Reader’s Copy eBook
She’s packed a single travel bag . . . and a mysterious, locked steamer trunk. Everything else stays behind on the family farm.
Thirty-one-year-old Adelaide Henry is on her way from California’s Lucerne Valley to Montana where the government offers free
Will it be far enough away to hide her secret? Or will the truth win out at last?
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History meets an imaginative horror as a group of lone women set out to become homesteaders, finding strength in surprising places. Set on the American frontier early in the twentieth century, the struggle to survive is omnipresent in the telling of this tale. The world here is harsh, the bleak landscape of Montana made even more so by some who see only what they want for themselves.
Adelaide has an inner strength [perhaps from her years of keeping the family secret] that serves her well as she moves relentlessly forward. Populated with well-drawn characters, especially Grace, Sam, Bertie, and Fiona, the unfolding saga takes some unexpected twists and offers readers a few surprises along the way to a particularly satisfying denouement.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Random House, One World and NetGalley
#LoneWomen #NetGalley
She’s packed a single travel bag . . . and a mysterious, locked steamer trunk. Everything else stays behind on the family farm.
Thirty-one-year-old Adelaide Henry is on her way from California’s Lucerne Valley to Montana where the government offers free
Show More
land for anyone who can cultivate it. It’s a long and arduous trip, but she now calls a twelve-foot by twelve-foot cabin near Big Sandy home. Here she makes her home. Here she struggles to survive.Will it be far enough away to hide her secret? Or will the truth win out at last?
=========
History meets an imaginative horror as a group of lone women set out to become homesteaders, finding strength in surprising places. Set on the American frontier early in the twentieth century, the struggle to survive is omnipresent in the telling of this tale. The world here is harsh, the bleak landscape of Montana made even more so by some who see only what they want for themselves.
Adelaide has an inner strength [perhaps from her years of keeping the family secret] that serves her well as she moves relentlessly forward. Populated with well-drawn characters, especially Grace, Sam, Bertie, and Fiona, the unfolding saga takes some unexpected twists and offers readers a few surprises along the way to a particularly satisfying denouement.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Random House, One World and NetGalley
#LoneWomen #NetGalley
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LibraryThing member Anniik
TW/CW: Violence, lynching, brutality, arson, language, brief sexuality
RATING: 4/5
REVIEW: Lone Women is a unique horror book that follows the supernatural story of a young African-American women who makes the choice to homestead in Montana in the early 20th century.
I enjoyed this book! It was brutal
I think the first half, for me at least, went a lot faster than the second half. I loved the creepy ambiance of it, set across the nothingness of the Montana landscape. After the monster is discovered (staying vague here so no spoilers!), it loses some of that, although it’s still a pretty good book past that part too.
I recommend this book to fans of horror, and anyone looking for a book that’s different from all the rest!
RATING: 4/5
REVIEW: Lone Women is a unique horror book that follows the supernatural story of a young African-American women who makes the choice to homestead in Montana in the early 20th century.
I enjoyed this book! It was brutal
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in places, and has some really bloody scenes, but all in all it’s a well written book that tells a sad but engaging story.I think the first half, for me at least, went a lot faster than the second half. I loved the creepy ambiance of it, set across the nothingness of the Montana landscape. After the monster is discovered (staying vague here so no spoilers!), it loses some of that, although it’s still a pretty good book past that part too.
I recommend this book to fans of horror, and anyone looking for a book that’s different from all the rest!
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LibraryThing member Unkletom
Every book I've read by Victor LaValle has been unexpected. I have never been able to figure out, going in, what is in store for me. They are all imaginative, unconventional, and unique. They, at least the ones that I have read, are all a history lesson in disguise.
Lone Women is no exception. It
Lone Women is no exception. It
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is a thrill ride from page one. I don't want to say anything about it because I don't want to spoil the story for you but, suffice it to say, it adds a whole new dimension to the idea of hard times on the high prairie. Show Less
LibraryThing member walterqchocobo
I really enjoyed this tense feminist historical western thriller novel. The opening chapter pulls you right into the story and the tension and sense of unease builds as Adelaide travels alone to Montana from California with the family secret locked in a steamer trunk. She intends to homestead some
The pacing can sometimes feel off but the sense of dread never lets go. The characters are well written, even if most everyone is tough to like. The big reveal of what is in the trunk isn't the only twist in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this strange book and the story of Adelaide and the other lone women.
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land and make a new life where no one knows about her and her family.The pacing can sometimes feel off but the sense of dread never lets go. The characters are well written, even if most everyone is tough to like. The big reveal of what is in the trunk isn't the only twist in the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this strange book and the story of Adelaide and the other lone women.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I borrowed a copy of this on ebook from my library.
Thoughts: I enjoyed this quite a bit and especially loved how the book ended. This was a very different read but I loved the history here as well as the unique, strong female characters. Prior to
Adelaide Henry joins us standing over the dead bodies of her parents while she prepares to burn her Californian house down and journey out to Montana. Out in Montana she hopes to claim a homestead, taking advantage of the "lone woman" loop hole in the government's offer of free land to any person who can make the land productive and survive. Adelaide doesn't bring much with her, just a mysterious truck that is strangely heavy and that she is very protective of.
I loved the adventure overtones to this book and really enjoyed the mystery of what was in the truck. Adelaide and the other "lone women" are fascinating characters; they are tough and resourceful with very different pasts. However, they have a current goal that brings them together...surviving the Montana winter and the dangers it brings. Add to this a town of dubious residents and a bit of a fantasy/horror element and you have a story that I struggled to put down.
This story is about survival and striking out on one's own and finding a family for yourself when your own family has failed you. There are heavy horror elements and some of the scenes get very gory. I enjoyed every bit of this and especially liked the ending. It was fun to see an ending like this for a historical fantasy horror story.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. This is a bit of a different story about strong women, adventure on the western frontier, survival, and things that go bump in the night. I would recommend if you are looking for something in that vein or if you are just looking for a historical western fantasy that is a bit different from anything else you have read and don't mind some horror elements.
This is the second book by Lavalle I have really enjoyed. I love his unique historical re-imaginings, intriguing characters and the way he blends in dark horror/fantasy elements. I definitely plan on picking up his other books as well
Thoughts: I enjoyed this quite a bit and especially loved how the book ended. This was a very different read but I loved the history here as well as the unique, strong female characters. Prior to
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reading this I had read Lavalle's "The Ballad of Black Tom" and really enjoyed that as well. Adelaide Henry joins us standing over the dead bodies of her parents while she prepares to burn her Californian house down and journey out to Montana. Out in Montana she hopes to claim a homestead, taking advantage of the "lone woman" loop hole in the government's offer of free land to any person who can make the land productive and survive. Adelaide doesn't bring much with her, just a mysterious truck that is strangely heavy and that she is very protective of.
I loved the adventure overtones to this book and really enjoyed the mystery of what was in the truck. Adelaide and the other "lone women" are fascinating characters; they are tough and resourceful with very different pasts. However, they have a current goal that brings them together...surviving the Montana winter and the dangers it brings. Add to this a town of dubious residents and a bit of a fantasy/horror element and you have a story that I struggled to put down.
This story is about survival and striking out on one's own and finding a family for yourself when your own family has failed you. There are heavy horror elements and some of the scenes get very gory. I enjoyed every bit of this and especially liked the ending. It was fun to see an ending like this for a historical fantasy horror story.
My Summary (4/5): Overall I really enjoyed this. This is a bit of a different story about strong women, adventure on the western frontier, survival, and things that go bump in the night. I would recommend if you are looking for something in that vein or if you are just looking for a historical western fantasy that is a bit different from anything else you have read and don't mind some horror elements.
This is the second book by Lavalle I have really enjoyed. I love his unique historical re-imaginings, intriguing characters and the way he blends in dark horror/fantasy elements. I definitely plan on picking up his other books as well
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Awards
Dublin Literary Award (Longlist — 2024)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — 2023)
BookTube Prize (Octofinalist — Fiction — 2024)
Libby Book Award (Finalist — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
The New York Times Notable Books of the Year (Fiction — 2023)
Locus Recommended Reading (2023)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (Historical Fiction — 2023)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — March 2023)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — 2023)
Denver Public Library Staff Picks for Adults (Fiction — 2023)
Pages
304
ISBN
052551208X / 9780525512080