At the outset of the novel, we are introduced to Adelaide Henry, a 31-year-old woman of African descent, who commits a harrowing act by setting her family’s California farmhouse ablaze, with her deceased parents still inside. She embarks on a journey to Montana, carrying a heavy trunk, with the intention of establishing herself as a homesteader. Despite being classified as a historical horror novel, I found myself underwhelmed by the lack of detail regarding the land and homesteading. The narrative was rather bleak and failed to provide substantial historical context.
It would be remiss to classify this as a true horror story, as it lacked any truly chilling or suspenseful elements. The plot felt disjointed and the frequent “reveals” lacked a solid foundation. The absence of underlying themes or a clear purpose for the horror element was evident. In fact, the explanation for the purported horror only materialized in the final pages of the book.
While I appreciated the author’s dark writing style, the pacing was sluggish. The cunning wit exhibited by certain characters, as well as my curiosity regarding the contents of the trunk, were the sole factors that sustained my interest.
Art/Literary/Affiliates 