HERESY is the first book of Melissa Lenhardt’s I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. It’s a true accomplishment.
On the most basic terms, it succeeds as a classic Western thriller -- robberies, revenge, all that good stuff. Only the outlaws in this gang are all women.
By rights it's a conceit that should strain credulity, but thanks in great part to Lenhardt’s clever narrative strategy, it’s grounded and fully credible from beginning to end. The characters are unique, the relationships are indelible, and while the story takes place 140 years ago, every page feels completely contemporary.
The book is presented as a pastiche of documents collected, ordered and presented by a present-day professor of American history -- a journal, a detective’s case file, a WPA-sponsored oral history, and various newspaper clippings of the period. Through these, the participants are allowed to tell the story themselves, sometimes contemporaneously, sometimes with the perspective and rich texture of distant memory. As the narrative passes from one set of hands to another, it unfolds as a series of teases and revelations which held my attention and kept refreshing my curiosity.
I'd recommend this unique book to almost anyone.
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Reviews with images
You NEED to read this book!
Now, this is one Western that I can get behind 100%. A fictional tale based on true fact, Heresy is centered around a gang of badass women outlaws who live by their own rules in an era where this is essentially unheard of. Not only that, but the gang is comprised of not only white women, but also a Black former slave, a transgender woman, and lesbians, among others. A group forged long before their time, this gang is more family than bad guys, more Robin Hood than outllaw.Lenhardt tells the women's story via fabricated journals, newspaper articles, and interviews, which allowed for the story to be shared through several different lenses. Unfortunately, this made the telling of the tale seem disjointed and cobbled together. I suppose it was supposed to seem that way, however, I tend to appreciate books written in novel form, so it wasn't my favorite thing about this story. Regardless, it was a small irritation compared to the awesomeness that is Heresy.If you are a lover of Westerns, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of women, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of books... Well, basically, y'all - you need to read this freaking book.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on October 21, 2019
Reviewed in the United States on March 29, 2019
Now, this is one Western that I can get behind 100%. A fictional tale based on true fact, Heresy is centered around a gang of badass women outlaws who live by their own rules in an era where this is essentially unheard of. Not only that, but the gang is comprised of not only white women, but also a Black former slave, a transgender woman, and lesbians, among others. A group forged long before their time, this gang is more family than bad guys, more Robin Hood than outllaw.
Lenhardt tells the women's story via fabricated journals, newspaper articles, and interviews, which allowed for the story to be shared through several different lenses. Unfortunately, this made the telling of the tale seem disjointed and cobbled together. I suppose it was supposed to seem that way, however, I tend to appreciate books written in novel form, so it wasn't my favorite thing about this story. Regardless, it was a small irritation compared to the awesomeness that is Heresy.
If you are a lover of Westerns, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of women, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of books... Well, basically, y'all - you need to read this freaking book.
Lenhardt tells the women's story via fabricated journals, newspaper articles, and interviews, which allowed for the story to be shared through several different lenses. Unfortunately, this made the telling of the tale seem disjointed and cobbled together. I suppose it was supposed to seem that way, however, I tend to appreciate books written in novel form, so it wasn't my favorite thing about this story. Regardless, it was a small irritation compared to the awesomeness that is Heresy.
If you are a lover of Westerns, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of women, you need to read this book. If you are a lover of books... Well, basically, y'all - you need to read this freaking book.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2019
