Adelaide Henry is a woman on the run.
She is traveling to Montana to take advantage of the offer of free land to homesteaders regardless of gender, dragging only an enormous steamer trunk behind her. Adelaide isn’t the only lone woman in Montana with secrets. Can she escape her past? What happens if she stops trying? Little House on the Prairie this is not.
I picked this book up on the strength of past works by this author that I’ve enjoyed and was not disappointed. I’m not usually interested in westerns but Adelaide and her secrets hooked me immediately. The horror element goes beyond just trying to survive as a single woman in 1915 Montana which would probably be pretty horrifying in reality. Though these women are always aware and on guard it doesn’t go too far in that direction. I found it so impressive that LaValle seems to lay out the mystery in the beginning, you know why Adelaide is running and the burden she’s carrying, but pieces continue to unfold to the last page. Also the entire last chapter was just a delight to read. I feel like I went on this journey with Adelaide, full of secrets, sisterhood, and second chances. I’m glad I did.