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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
I enjoyed the book. Took a while to reach the end. Loved the community and the idea that you look after others and literally you reap what you sow.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
This is my first Victor Lavalle book, but it will certainly not be my last. I would not describe the contents of the book to be entirely horror(at least to my tastes), but writing kept me enthralled and curious from beginning to end and after still. Lavalle has found a way of constructing and guiding this story through that half the time I couldn’t tell if the back of my neck was buzzing excitement or chills. I don’t find comparing film and books to be entirely fair or productive to either; I hung on Lavalle’s every word like they were playing out in a carefully edited succession of shots on a screen. I could feel where the camera was. If that makes any sense. It is hard to use words and film in similar ways, a picture speaks a thousand words but those words can still be written as anything. It up to author to still somehow write it and Lavalle has accomplished it so that he never gave too much away, never overwrote, surprised me, left me guessing and questioning; left me studying his words like they were pictures. I can still feel the Montana landscape
(Review cross posted to Edelweiss)
(Review cross posted to Edelweiss)
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Convincing you to read this from the author:
Q How do you describe Lone Women to people?
A) I say, "Do you know anything about Montana's history? Did you know that women homesteaded that land by themselves? And did you know that it wasn't just white women? It was Black women, Latinas, there were Chinese women there, do you know any of that?" Usually, the answer I get from people is "No." And then I say, "I've got a story for you."
Q How do you describe Lone Women to people?
A) I say, "Do you know anything about Montana's history? Did you know that women homesteaded that land by themselves? And did you know that it wasn't just white women? It was Black women, Latinas, there were Chinese women there, do you know any of that?" Usually, the answer I get from people is "No." And then I say, "I've got a story for you."
“On Tuesday, Adelaide Henry had been a farmer. On Wednesday, she became a fugitive.”
My year of Horror has had its ups and downs, but I’m doing this “Year of Horror” to find out what kind of books I like in the genre and while I have had plenty of duds, it’s books like this that make this project so worth it.
Lone Women is such a different kind of book from one that I would normally pick up. It follows this woman named Adelaide and her family had a farm in California. In fact, they were one of many Black families that had land and were able to make a living there.
When we meet her, we find out that her parents are dead and she is leaving California to become a homesteader in Montana. We don’t know how her parents die, but we see Adelaide set their bodies and the house on fire and she is on her way. All she takes with her are essentials and a steamer trunk that must remain locked at all times. That trunk carries dark family secrets and it would be detrimental if that trunk ever got opened, but at the same time that very thing could be the only thing that saves her.
This was just right up my alley. The characters are really what sold this for me. Adelaide was fantastic. She is the lone Black woman traversing a place and situation that she is unfamiliar with and we see her take that all in stride. She is not perfect. She makes mistakes, she falls into that trap of wanting to fit in and it makes her not be as weary of certain people as she should. With all of that being said, I loved following her on this journey of being a female, Black homesteader in the Midwest.
I also enjoyed the other side characters we got like Grace, her son Sam, and Bertie Brown. They don’t have their own perspectives in the story, but I feel like LaValle did a good job of establishing them as important characters in Adelaide’s story and gave them interesting personalities and storylines. There were also characters I didn’t like, such as Mrs. Mudge and her sons. There are other characters that are introduced throughout the story that I also found myself despising, but I don’t want to spoil that for anyone.
The other great part of this story was the mystery element. Throughout the story, you’re wondering what is in the case and why is Adelaide so obsessed with making sure it is not opened. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present, and in those past scenes, the mystery of the trunk begins to unravel. I was genuinely surprised when the reveal happened because I really didn’t see it coming. There were actually a couple of surprising moments, which I enjoyed.
The ending was great and I loved how everything wrapped up. Some might find it too neat, but I thought it fit the story perfectly.
While this was an entertaining tale, the book also does a lot for educating people about these women who were really homesteaders at this time. The author’s note, which I do recommend reading, talks about this and how LaValle didn’t know these women existed and how what they did, is not something that is talked about today.
All of this to say that I can’t wait to read more from this author and I’m happy that I’ve found a Horror book that gets a 5 star from me this year.
CW for loss of a child, murder, and loss of a parent.
My year of Horror has had its ups and downs, but I’m doing this “Year of Horror” to find out what kind of books I like in the genre and while I have had plenty of duds, it’s books like this that make this project so worth it.
Lone Women is such a different kind of book from one that I would normally pick up. It follows this woman named Adelaide and her family had a farm in California. In fact, they were one of many Black families that had land and were able to make a living there.
When we meet her, we find out that her parents are dead and she is leaving California to become a homesteader in Montana. We don’t know how her parents die, but we see Adelaide set their bodies and the house on fire and she is on her way. All she takes with her are essentials and a steamer trunk that must remain locked at all times. That trunk carries dark family secrets and it would be detrimental if that trunk ever got opened, but at the same time that very thing could be the only thing that saves her.
This was just right up my alley. The characters are really what sold this for me. Adelaide was fantastic. She is the lone Black woman traversing a place and situation that she is unfamiliar with and we see her take that all in stride. She is not perfect. She makes mistakes, she falls into that trap of wanting to fit in and it makes her not be as weary of certain people as she should. With all of that being said, I loved following her on this journey of being a female, Black homesteader in the Midwest.
I also enjoyed the other side characters we got like Grace, her son Sam, and Bertie Brown. They don’t have their own perspectives in the story, but I feel like LaValle did a good job of establishing them as important characters in Adelaide’s story and gave them interesting personalities and storylines. There were also characters I didn’t like, such as Mrs. Mudge and her sons. There are other characters that are introduced throughout the story that I also found myself despising, but I don’t want to spoil that for anyone.
The other great part of this story was the mystery element. Throughout the story, you’re wondering what is in the case and why is Adelaide so obsessed with making sure it is not opened. The story goes back and forth between the past and the present, and in those past scenes, the mystery of the trunk begins to unravel. I was genuinely surprised when the reveal happened because I really didn’t see it coming. There were actually a couple of surprising moments, which I enjoyed.
The ending was great and I loved how everything wrapped up. Some might find it too neat, but I thought it fit the story perfectly.
While this was an entertaining tale, the book also does a lot for educating people about these women who were really homesteaders at this time. The author’s note, which I do recommend reading, talks about this and how LaValle didn’t know these women existed and how what they did, is not something that is talked about today.
All of this to say that I can’t wait to read more from this author and I’m happy that I’ve found a Horror book that gets a 5 star from me this year.
CW for loss of a child, murder, and loss of a parent.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I went into this book thinking it was a Sapphic love story. Truth is, yes, that's there. Moreover, it is a historical fiction filled with monsters and fueled by the love and bond of women coming into their own at a time in America where to woman and non-white was to be othered, feared, disrespected, and often times killed. Set on the edge of emancipation, 4 women migrate to Montana and start anew. All with their own secrets, one physically lugging hers on her voyage. The character building is intriguing. Passion is found not in the bedroom, but truly in sisterhood. A sisterhood of its own rules, rooted in survival. I'd read this again and again and I know I'd find something new. I'd recommend this to book lovers who are hungover from Warmth of Other Suns or fans of Fargo.
adventurous
dark
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes