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In the Great Quiet: A Novel
Not yet published
Expected 1 Apr 26A pioneer unwaveringly endures the Oklahoma frontier in an epic adventure about a woman haunted by secrets and searching for home.
A cannon booms at high noon, and the race begins in the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.
Amid the crowd is Minnie Hoopes. Tenacious and fiercely independent, she is determined to endure the brutal frontier and create a life of her own. Guarding her solitude, she distances herself from bordering homesteaders and finds peace under the starry nights of the vast frontier. But this is outlaw country, and Minnie soon has the blood of two gunfighters on her hands. After a renegade outlaw named Stot discovers her secrets, she forms an unlikely friendship with him. With each passing season, Minnie’s past grows more haunting and threatens the future she has risked everything to build. Minnie raced into the Wild West alone, but her grandest journey in the frontier wilderness is one she never saw coming.
Based on the true story of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this sweeping and transportive survival story explores a woman’s connection with the land, her reconciliation with the past, and her elemental search for home against all odds.
Settle in, I’ve stories to tell.
A cannon booms at high noon, and the race begins in the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.
Amid the crowd is Minnie Hoopes. Tenacious and fiercely independent, she is determined to endure the brutal frontier and create a life of her own. Guarding her solitude, she distances herself from bordering homesteaders and finds peace under the starry nights of the vast frontier. But this is outlaw country, and Minnie soon has the blood of two gunfighters on her hands. After a renegade outlaw named Stot discovers her secrets, she forms an unlikely friendship with him. With each passing season, Minnie’s past grows more haunting and threatens the future she has risked everything to build. Minnie raced into the Wild West alone, but her grandest journey in the frontier wilderness is one she never saw coming.
Based on the true story of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this sweeping and transportive survival story explores a woman’s connection with the land, her reconciliation with the past, and her elemental search for home against all odds.
Settle in, I’ve stories to tell.
315 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication April 1, 2026
3 people are currently reading
157 people want to read
About the author
Laura Vogt
2 books41 followersI'm Laura. I love to tell stories. I love what's wild and beautiful.
My debut novel IN THE GREAT QUIET (Lake Union 2026) is a sweeping, atmospheric story in the tradition of COLD MOUNTAIN and THE FOUR WINDS. It's inspired by the true story of my grandmother's grandmother, following a tenacious pioneer's race into the great unknown.
In the Oklahoma prairie of 1893, Minnie Hoopes withstands the volatile wilderness and outlaw threats--but her greatest adventure will be confronting her past and finding a place to call home. IN THE GREAT QUIET is a lyrical, immersive story about memory and perception, community and isolation, with an epic, enduring romance at its heart.
My debut novel IN THE GREAT QUIET (Lake Union 2026) is a sweeping, atmospheric story in the tradition of COLD MOUNTAIN and THE FOUR WINDS. It's inspired by the true story of my grandmother's grandmother, following a tenacious pioneer's race into the great unknown.
In the Oklahoma prairie of 1893, Minnie Hoopes withstands the volatile wilderness and outlaw threats--but her greatest adventure will be confronting her past and finding a place to call home. IN THE GREAT QUIET is a lyrical, immersive story about memory and perception, community and isolation, with an epic, enduring romance at its heart.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 24, 2025
This book was amazing from start to finish. From the very first chapter, I was completely pulled in and didn’t want to put it down. There’s such a quiet strength to the story — a softness wrapped in sorrow, hope, and healing. The author captures the ache of struggle so beautifully that it almost feels like you’re living it right alongside the characters. And yet, through all the pain, there’s this persistent thread of hope that reminds you how resilient the human heart can be.
The character growth was especially moving. Watching each person slowly find their way, stumble, and rise again felt so genuine and heartfelt. Nothing about their transformation felt rushed — it was tender, steady, and filled with emotion. By the end, I found myself both teary and comforted, as if I’d walked through something sacred with them.
Laura Vogt’s writing has a peaceful rhythm to it — the kind that makes you want to slow down and savor every line. It’s one of those rare stories that stays with you long after you’ve closed the book, leaving you quieter, softer, and somehow more hopeful than before. I received this book through Net Galley and all opinions are my own.
The character growth was especially moving. Watching each person slowly find their way, stumble, and rise again felt so genuine and heartfelt. Nothing about their transformation felt rushed — it was tender, steady, and filled with emotion. By the end, I found myself both teary and comforted, as if I’d walked through something sacred with them.
Laura Vogt’s writing has a peaceful rhythm to it — the kind that makes you want to slow down and savor every line. It’s one of those rare stories that stays with you long after you’ve closed the book, leaving you quieter, softer, and somehow more hopeful than before. I received this book through Net Galley and all opinions are my own.
October 7, 2025
A pioneer story I absolutely devoured! Loved the setting and loved the characters. Minnie is a great main character. She’s relatable and feisty and an empowered woman. Loved her friendship with Stot. This book had the perfect amount of action and adventure to keep me hooked till the last page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 28, 2025
A big thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing an advanced readers' copy!
Kind of putting this in the 3.5/5 range. I love the prose and the way the author described life on the Oklahoma plains, but the story never really quite hooked me. She had me suckered in with the way life is described with relatable lushness, well as the minutiae of maintaining land, but the core conflicts of the book felt like they preceded too slow, only to be quickly resolved at the end within a few pages.
The romance between Minnie and Stot was cute, but their banter felt a little.. misplaced for the time period? Like don't get me wrong, I love some good banter between couples, but it felt out of place in comparison to the customs and ways that shaped Minnie's life. I think a little less couple-style banter would've made their relationship feel more real? That's just me though.
The core conflict of the book,
I had some feelings about how the Native American characters are presented in this book, but seeing as I'm white, take what I say with a grain of salt. While they are lovingly researched, realistically written, and treated with respect, Niabi and Wa-ah-zho's overall place in the story felt largely out of place and unconnected with the overall plot, making me question why they were included to begin with. Most of Minnie's core conflicts take place outside and unrelated to Osage Nation, and while I can absolutely see white homesteaders befriending the people from Osage Nation, their prominence in the story felt more like lip service rather than something interconnected to the overall story. It doesn't help that Niabi and Wa-ah-zho are almost like utopian foils of Minnie and Stot, incidentally reinforcing the trope of indigenous people in fiction being morally superior to their white counterparts.
Anyway, I did like this book, but I didn't love it. I will be looking forward to the author's future works, as I love the author's writing style, and hope she continues to write more in the future!
Kind of putting this in the 3.5/5 range. I love the prose and the way the author described life on the Oklahoma plains, but the story never really quite hooked me. She had me suckered in with the way life is described with relatable lushness, well as the minutiae of maintaining land, but the core conflicts of the book felt like they preceded too slow, only to be quickly resolved at the end within a few pages.
The romance between Minnie and Stot was cute, but their banter felt a little.. misplaced for the time period? Like don't get me wrong, I love some good banter between couples, but it felt out of place in comparison to the customs and ways that shaped Minnie's life. I think a little less couple-style banter would've made their relationship feel more real? That's just me though.
The core conflict of the book,
I had some feelings about how the Native American characters are presented in this book, but seeing as I'm white, take what I say with a grain of salt. While they are lovingly researched, realistically written, and treated with respect, Niabi and Wa-ah-zho's overall place in the story felt largely out of place and unconnected with the overall plot, making me question why they were included to begin with. Most of Minnie's core conflicts take place outside and unrelated to Osage Nation, and while I can absolutely see white homesteaders befriending the people from Osage Nation, their prominence in the story felt more like lip service rather than something interconnected to the overall story. It doesn't help that Niabi and Wa-ah-zho are almost like utopian foils of Minnie and Stot, incidentally reinforcing the trope of indigenous people in fiction being morally superior to their white counterparts.
Anyway, I did like this book, but I didn't love it. I will be looking forward to the author's future works, as I love the author's writing style, and hope she continues to write more in the future!
December 12, 2025
In the Great Quiet swept me away so completely that closing the book felt like coming back from another lifetime. Laura Vogt has crafted a stunning love letter to the Oklahoma prairie of 1893, its silence, its vastness, its dangers, and its unexpected tenderness. As a French reader who didn’t grow up steeped in the mythology of the American West, I found myself utterly enchanted. The world felt new, alive, and achingly real.
This novel radiates care. Every sentence is gorgeous, evocative, and placed with such intention that you can almost hear the wind across the prairie grass. The story draws you so close to the land and its people that you don’t just see them... you feel them. The title couldn’t be more perfect: there is a deep, resonant quiet running through the book, a stillness that holds both hardship and hope.
And let’s talk about that slow burn. MY GOD. The tension, the longing, the deliciously patient unfolding of connection... I was basically feral! It is so rare to find a historical story that handles romance with such restraint and intensity, all while keeping women at the center of the narrative. Cowboys + frontier history + a woman’s interior world = my entire brand now, apparently.
This is the kind of novel that makes you fall in love with a place you’ve never been and a past you never lived. It feels intimate, lived-in, and profoundly human. I’m genuinely grateful to have read it, and even more grateful that the author trusted me with a galley. If you love atmospheric writing, slow-burn romance, frontier stories, or simply books that take your breath away, please read this. Thank you for the privilege, Laura.
In the Great Quiet is, quite simply, phenomenal.
This novel radiates care. Every sentence is gorgeous, evocative, and placed with such intention that you can almost hear the wind across the prairie grass. The story draws you so close to the land and its people that you don’t just see them... you feel them. The title couldn’t be more perfect: there is a deep, resonant quiet running through the book, a stillness that holds both hardship and hope.
And let’s talk about that slow burn. MY GOD. The tension, the longing, the deliciously patient unfolding of connection... I was basically feral! It is so rare to find a historical story that handles romance with such restraint and intensity, all while keeping women at the center of the narrative. Cowboys + frontier history + a woman’s interior world = my entire brand now, apparently.
This is the kind of novel that makes you fall in love with a place you’ve never been and a past you never lived. It feels intimate, lived-in, and profoundly human. I’m genuinely grateful to have read it, and even more grateful that the author trusted me with a galley. If you love atmospheric writing, slow-burn romance, frontier stories, or simply books that take your breath away, please read this. Thank you for the privilege, Laura.
In the Great Quiet is, quite simply, phenomenal.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Laura Vogt’s historical fiction debut, “In the Great Quiet,” is coming from Lake Union Publishing on April 1, 2026. Months ago, we connected over a shared love of Willa Cather and Wendell Berry and Laura was kind enough to send me an advanced reader copy. “In the Great Quiet” is pitched for readers of Charles Frazier and Kristin Hannah. It’s set in 1893 and follows Minnie Hoopes, who wants to stake her claim on the Oklahoma prairie and live a quiet life in connection with the land she loves. Society’s not ready to let her do that and she must fight more than the elements to achieve the future she wants.
The book is based on the true story of Laura’s great-great-grandmother, and readers will almost hear this matriarch’s voice as they read. The voice of the feminine echos throughout the book. Minnie herself, as she rides and plants and builds, is often greeted by the voices of women who have gone before her. Indeed, Vogt gives the Earth herself voice to speak.
I was taken in by Laura’s intimate knowledge of plant life, horse husbandry, and natural history, even the use of medicinal herbs. All this lends such authenticity and credibility to the text. Readers will feel her deep connection to the setting and the characters who people it (All wrath! Sakes alive!”).
Still, it’s the push and pull between Minnie and her “next door neighbor” - does such a thing exist on the open prairie? - that ultimately moves the narrative along. Minnie and Stot are equal parts antisocial and big heart and sheer will, and I couldn’t hep but root for them. Laura has a talent for capturing chemistry.
Settle in, she has stories to tell.
The book is based on the true story of Laura’s great-great-grandmother, and readers will almost hear this matriarch’s voice as they read. The voice of the feminine echos throughout the book. Minnie herself, as she rides and plants and builds, is often greeted by the voices of women who have gone before her. Indeed, Vogt gives the Earth herself voice to speak.
I was taken in by Laura’s intimate knowledge of plant life, horse husbandry, and natural history, even the use of medicinal herbs. All this lends such authenticity and credibility to the text. Readers will feel her deep connection to the setting and the characters who people it (All wrath! Sakes alive!”).
Still, it’s the push and pull between Minnie and her “next door neighbor” - does such a thing exist on the open prairie? - that ultimately moves the narrative along. Minnie and Stot are equal parts antisocial and big heart and sheer will, and I couldn’t hep but root for them. Laura has a talent for capturing chemistry.
Settle in, she has stories to tell.
October 19, 2025
What a beautiful story of love, romance, determination and grit! I received this ARC from NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing and I’m so thankful. I’m not normally a reader of Western historical fiction but I was intrigued by the blurb stating it was an “epic adventure of a woman haunted by secrets and searching for home.” I love a female character who will blaze into the future and endure whatever happens, whatever the reason. Amelia “Minnie” Hoopes does just that. She leaves her Kansas home to be a “homesteader” and we learn how she’s does it in details that grip your imagination. Besides her story, the author weaves the story of the land as told through the eyes of Osage ancestors’ Earth spirit (and Minnie’s friendship with Niabi, a native woman who befriends her and helps her adjust to this strange new world). The love story that forms a big part of the book is not of the pulp fiction variety - that is, while feelings grow between Minnie and the Lawman, it’s the development of the relationship that is more important - as are all the friendships Minnie forms. Minnie is a great character. Be sure to read the author’s note as Minnie is based on the author’s great great grandmother (plus there are additional details about homesteading). I truly enjoyed this book. It’s worthy of everyone’s read.
December 12, 2025
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This historical fiction novel is based on ancestor of the author - pretty cool! It's 1893. Minnie is "not like other girls" and heads west during the Oklahoma land rush to stake a claim on her own land, something most single women do not do. She wants to start over after leaving her best friends who broke her heart. She soon faces terrible challenges and makes life-altering decisions in order to save her own life. She grudgingly makes friends with her neighbors and falls in love all while trying to build a home, grow food, survive the winter and dodge outlaws.
Stars: Maybe I do like Westerns?? I am starting to really enjoy stories about wide open spaces (ht to The Chicks). I love the descriptions of the prairie. The story was definitely a page turner and I enjoyed the slow burn romance.
Wishes: The author employs a little magic realism/fantasy. The Earth speaks and Minnie hears and sees visions of women who have come before and after her. This got a little confusing at times and dragged the story down I thought. I also think the story may have worked better with alternating flash back chapters - Minnie growing up in Kansas vs on her homestead.
3.5 stars
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
This historical fiction novel is based on ancestor of the author - pretty cool! It's 1893. Minnie is "not like other girls" and heads west during the Oklahoma land rush to stake a claim on her own land, something most single women do not do. She wants to start over after leaving her best friends who broke her heart. She soon faces terrible challenges and makes life-altering decisions in order to save her own life. She grudgingly makes friends with her neighbors and falls in love all while trying to build a home, grow food, survive the winter and dodge outlaws.
Stars: Maybe I do like Westerns?? I am starting to really enjoy stories about wide open spaces (ht to The Chicks). I love the descriptions of the prairie. The story was definitely a page turner and I enjoyed the slow burn romance.
Wishes: The author employs a little magic realism/fantasy. The Earth speaks and Minnie hears and sees visions of women who have come before and after her. This got a little confusing at times and dragged the story down I thought. I also think the story may have worked better with alternating flash back chapters - Minnie growing up in Kansas vs on her homestead.
3.5 stars
November 13, 2025
Minnie Hoopes is fleeing the shame of her past by rushing to the recently opened Oklahoma Territory. She is determined to stake a claim on her own land, work it herself, and protect her heart. As Minnie gets to know her neighbors, her heart begins to thaw. Everything seems to be going well for her—until she and her neighbors are caught in the crosshairs of vigilante justice.
This story quickly pulled me in. I felt Minnie’s struggle as she battled nature while working her land. I found the storyline enjoyable, but parts of the narrative felt a bit choppy to me. The subplot involving the women who walked the land before Minnie felt disjointed. It read as though the author had several themes she wanted to include (feminism and a Native American perspective), but the result was somewhat uneven writing. I think the story would have flowed better with a focus on one or the other. All in all, this book is a quick historical fiction read—worth picking up if pioneer stories are your vibe.
A little bit of 🌶️
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
This story quickly pulled me in. I felt Minnie’s struggle as she battled nature while working her land. I found the storyline enjoyable, but parts of the narrative felt a bit choppy to me. The subplot involving the women who walked the land before Minnie felt disjointed. It read as though the author had several themes she wanted to include (feminism and a Native American perspective), but the result was somewhat uneven writing. I think the story would have flowed better with a focus on one or the other. All in all, this book is a quick historical fiction read—worth picking up if pioneer stories are your vibe.
A little bit of 🌶️
Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
October 25, 2025
From the very first page this story had me mesmerised. The setting, the great land race of the 19th century west, in itself is interesting enough. Add characters, like Minnie and Lawman who are so full of personality and yet flawed, and you have the makings of a great story. What really pulled it all together for me was the writer's ability to capture the harshness of life, the loneliness and isolation. Her choice of words drew on all the readers senses. Like Minnie, you could hear the wind whispering through the grasslands, feel the cracked sunbaked earth underneath your feet and feel the harsh bite of the snow. And, by default, you understand how the landscape itself has the power to shape a character's journey.
I did receive an ARC copy through Net Gallery, however I must stress that this did not effect my enjoyment of the novel. Highly recommended to lovers of historicals and strong, vibrant characters.
I did receive an ARC copy through Net Gallery, however I must stress that this did not effect my enjoyment of the novel. Highly recommended to lovers of historicals and strong, vibrant characters.
November 13, 2025
A beautiful and poignant story of westward expansion in Oklahoma as a young family claim their stake and build a life for themselves in the 1800s. This historical fiction recounts the struggles of pioneer life and adapting to new surroundings and has all the elements that make up a terrific story: survival, resilience, hope, family and with a speedy of murder.
Some of the best storytelling I've read in quite a while and I'm very happy I had the chance to check this story out for myself! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction about westward expansion and pioneer life.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Some of the best storytelling I've read in quite a while and I'm very happy I had the chance to check this story out for myself! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction about westward expansion and pioneer life.
I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC book in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was a most amazing story! It was based somewhat on the author’s ancestors. It starts in 1893. Minnie is fiercely independent, determined to conquer the frontier and create a life for herself. The frontier is brutal and there are outlaws. Eventually she makes friends with Stot, also known as the Lawman. The story was so interesting and I felt I grew close to the characters. I just loved the story!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
October 24, 2025
I’m going back and forth about In the Great Quiet.
At times, I liked Minnie. At other times, I really, really did not.
The whimsical writing style vacillated between poignant and too esoteric for me.
I loved the setting and the secondary characters (Olive and The Lawman especially) but I did not enjoy the story as a whole, as I thought I would.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
At times, I liked Minnie. At other times, I really, really did not.
The whimsical writing style vacillated between poignant and too esoteric for me.
I loved the setting and the secondary characters (Olive and The Lawman especially) but I did not enjoy the story as a whole, as I thought I would.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 28, 2025
A beautifully written and emotional story set during the Oklahoma land rush. Minnie Hoopes is a fierce, unforgettable heroine whose strength and solitude shine on every page. The author’s storytelling is vivid and heartfelt, a perfect blend of history, grit, and soul. Truly an inspiring and unforgettable read!
December 25, 2025
First of all, I love that this book is based on the lives of the author’s ancestors. This book takes place during the late 1800’s and I love reading about that time period. I was drawn to this book for that reason and I’m so glad I read it.
It was a beautiful, poignant story with a strong, inspiring lead character. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read it.
It was a beautiful, poignant story with a strong, inspiring lead character. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to read it.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews