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Heresy: A Novel
They were the first and only all-female gang in the American West. Though the newspapers refuse to give them credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed. Now, they've got a rival male gang on their trail and an old score to settle.
Margaret Parker and Hattie LaCour never intended to turn outlaw.
After being run off their ranch by a greedy cattleman, their family is left destitute. As women alone they have few choices: marriage, lying on their backs for money, or holding a gun. For Margaret and Hattie the choice is simple. With their small makeshift family, the gang pulls off a series of heists across the West.
Though the newspapers refuse to give the female gang credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed. Pinkertons are on their trail, a rival male gang is determined to destroy them, and secrets among the group threaten to tear them apart. Now, Margaret and Hattie must find a way to protect their family, finish one last job, and avoid the hangman's noose.
For more from Melissa Lenhardt, check out:
The Sawbones Series
Sawbones
Blood Oath
Badlands
Margaret Parker and Hattie LaCour never intended to turn outlaw.
After being run off their ranch by a greedy cattleman, their family is left destitute. As women alone they have few choices: marriage, lying on their backs for money, or holding a gun. For Margaret and Hattie the choice is simple. With their small makeshift family, the gang pulls off a series of heists across the West.
Though the newspapers refuse to give the female gang credit, their exploits don't go unnoticed. Pinkertons are on their trail, a rival male gang is determined to destroy them, and secrets among the group threaten to tear them apart. Now, Margaret and Hattie must find a way to protect their family, finish one last job, and avoid the hangman's noose.
For more from Melissa Lenhardt, check out:
The Sawbones Series
Sawbones
Blood Oath
Badlands
480 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2018
101 people are currently reading
2591 people want to read
About the author
Melissa Lenhardt
10 books494 followersMelissa Lenhardt writes women’s fiction, historical fiction, and mysteries. The New York Times called HERESY an “unapologetically badass western” and “an all-out women-driven, queer, transgender, multiracial takeover of the Old West.” Heresy also won the 2022 Audie Award for Best Multi-Voiced Performance. Her debut women’s fiction novel, THE SECRET OF YOU AND ME, was the first LGBTQ+ novel published by Mills and Boon in the UK. A lifelong Texan, Melissa is currently traveling the world as a digital nomad.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 196 reviews
September 25, 2020
I needed a book for a Western prompt and this fit that bill. I'm not a huge fan of that genre, so when I heard about a historical fiction book about female outlaws, I was hooked.
Margaret Parker's gang executed on a number of robberies in Colorado but never got the credit for them. This novel was told in a series of journals, articles and interview (which I loved) and the adventure was high. I thoroughly loved living vicariously on horseback, wind blowing, with cash stashed in the saddlebag. Rival gangs, a brothel and many shootouts made for an exciting backdrop.
I didn't enjoy the beginning and ending pieces using a faux author-- not sure what the point of that was, and I also felt this was about 100 pages too long. It was fun and I'm glad I found something that wasn't too tedious for this challenge.
Margaret Parker's gang executed on a number of robberies in Colorado but never got the credit for them. This novel was told in a series of journals, articles and interview (which I loved) and the adventure was high. I thoroughly loved living vicariously on horseback, wind blowing, with cash stashed in the saddlebag. Rival gangs, a brothel and many shootouts made for an exciting backdrop.
I didn't enjoy the beginning and ending pieces using a faux author-- not sure what the point of that was, and I also felt this was about 100 pages too long. It was fun and I'm glad I found something that wasn't too tedious for this challenge.
February 10, 2019
4 stars Thanks to NetGalley and Redhook for allowing me to read and review this book. Published October 2, 2018.
What a great old west novel. Based on true fact this fictional story is told in 3 part. Three women involved in the Parker Gang narrate this book. Foremost is Henrietta Lee, a 92 year old former slave and the only person left alive to tell the story. Also narrating is Grace Trumbull, a former Pinkerton and budding travel writer, along with Margaret Parker, leader, and former Duchess and British widow.
Parker, known as Garet and Lee known as Hattie were partners in crime who ran a wild horse wrangling operation from their farm. That is when they weren't robbing banks and stage coaches.
There is a whole team of players in this book - nicely outlined in the appendix under Cast of Characters. Usually that will turn me off, knowing there are a multitude of characters to wrestle through, however Lenhardt does a wonderful job of introducing them in a way that you are not confused. Many of the minor characters play a good part in this book.
I will admit to often being confused as to who was narrating the story from time to time. Eventually it became clear, but initially I was not sure. The story is told from all three perspectives. Each character saw things a bit differently and you became privy to their innermost thoughts.
I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the atmosphere, the characters and the land. Lenhardt did a great job in placing me in the mix of characters. You can feel the heat, you can smell the smells, you can see the beautiful sunsets. A book well worth the read.
What a great old west novel. Based on true fact this fictional story is told in 3 part. Three women involved in the Parker Gang narrate this book. Foremost is Henrietta Lee, a 92 year old former slave and the only person left alive to tell the story. Also narrating is Grace Trumbull, a former Pinkerton and budding travel writer, along with Margaret Parker, leader, and former Duchess and British widow.
Parker, known as Garet and Lee known as Hattie were partners in crime who ran a wild horse wrangling operation from their farm. That is when they weren't robbing banks and stage coaches.
There is a whole team of players in this book - nicely outlined in the appendix under Cast of Characters. Usually that will turn me off, knowing there are a multitude of characters to wrestle through, however Lenhardt does a wonderful job of introducing them in a way that you are not confused. Many of the minor characters play a good part in this book.
I will admit to often being confused as to who was narrating the story from time to time. Eventually it became clear, but initially I was not sure. The story is told from all three perspectives. Each character saw things a bit differently and you became privy to their innermost thoughts.
I laughed, I cried and I fell in love with the atmosphere, the characters and the land. Lenhardt did a great job in placing me in the mix of characters. You can feel the heat, you can smell the smells, you can see the beautiful sunsets. A book well worth the read.
March 4, 2018
Author here. I love this book and can’t wait to share it with you on 10/2/18.
April 26, 2023
I received this audiobook from Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review.
For quite some time I have been wanting to read a story set in the 'Wild West' and where better to start than with a female gang!
Here we have a story about the Parker Gang led by Margaret ‘Garet’ Parker and Henrietta ‘Hattie’ Lee who robb banks and stage coaches.
Later on the gang is joined by Grace Trumball ostensibly a journalist brought into the gang in order to give an account of this gang of women that no one believes exists because ‘women aren’t capable of such exploits’
The narrative is framed as a faux true-story using ‘modern’ interviews, newspaper headlines and journal entries to tell the story.It wasn’t completely unsuccessful but it also wasn't completely successful.
A book written as a journal can give a very personal point of view and using the journal entries from several of the characters has the advantage of presenting several different POVs but also it requires going back over the timeline, repeating events that had already ‘happened’ once.
In this case the narration style seemed to suck the pace out of what should be a very exciting story. It was most enjoyable when the narrator seemed to be swept along with the action but in general there was too much telling and few moments when the reader felt part of the story.
Also I was a little confused that the person being interviewed in the 'modern' timeline was not the POV narrating the main story. It seemed a strange choice not off-putting just a little odd.
I listened to the audio version. At first it was fine and I can’t pinpoint the exact problem but the English accent was a little strained and occasionally the voice sounded robotic. I didn’t actively dislike it but it definitely had a soporific effect which dulled my enjoyment of the narrative.
Not a great read but not bad either
3 stars for the story
3 stars for the audio
For quite some time I have been wanting to read a story set in the 'Wild West' and where better to start than with a female gang!
Here we have a story about the Parker Gang led by Margaret ‘Garet’ Parker and Henrietta ‘Hattie’ Lee who robb banks and stage coaches.
Later on the gang is joined by Grace Trumball ostensibly a journalist brought into the gang in order to give an account of this gang of women that no one believes exists because ‘women aren’t capable of such exploits’
The narrative is framed as a faux true-story using ‘modern’ interviews, newspaper headlines and journal entries to tell the story.It wasn’t completely unsuccessful but it also wasn't completely successful.
A book written as a journal can give a very personal point of view and using the journal entries from several of the characters has the advantage of presenting several different POVs but also it requires going back over the timeline, repeating events that had already ‘happened’ once.
In this case the narration style seemed to suck the pace out of what should be a very exciting story. It was most enjoyable when the narrator seemed to be swept along with the action but in general there was too much telling and few moments when the reader felt part of the story.
Also I was a little confused that the person being interviewed in the 'modern' timeline was not the POV narrating the main story. It seemed a strange choice not off-putting just a little odd.
I listened to the audio version. At first it was fine and I can’t pinpoint the exact problem but the English accent was a little strained and occasionally the voice sounded robotic. I didn’t actively dislike it but it definitely had a soporific effect which dulled my enjoyment of the narrative.
Not a great read but not bad either
3 stars for the story
3 stars for the audio
October 24, 2018
Finally, a Western that centers women throughout--and not just one woman, but a whole gang of them, tough and imperfect and rebellious and loyal and just gosh-dang realistic. Former slave Hattie LaCour and widowed white woman Margaret Parker are partners in crime--they and their gang of mostly female outlaws rob banks, stagecoaches, and mining offices, and they never get caught because no one believes women capable of their exploits. Lenhardt tells their story through artifacts like newspaper columns, interviews, and journal entries, which made me feel like a detective historian combing through the archives (but without all the work). I absolutely fell in love with these characters and was blown away by the breadth of diversity represented among them. How amazing to read a story that is in some ways so familiar yet centers people who are usually erased from narratives of this kind. This is the Western the canon has been missing, and it’s the perfect book to pick up if you need a hit of female badassery right about now.
April 25, 2023
RATING: 4 STARS
I loved Melissa Lenhardt's western series, Sawbones so when I saw there was another historical fiction I had to read it! This book is a standalone (so far), but it does have some small cameos from previous characters (from Sawbones). As soon as I started this novel I was hooked. I loved the characters and the story, and that it doesn't shy away from being a western.
The novel is set post-civil war in America, where a "family" of women turn to a life of an outlaw gang to survive. A British widow (Garet), a former African-American slave (Hattie) and two uneducated young sisters running from their former life make up this family of outlaws. On their last job they pick up a woman (Grace) traveling the West to write about her adventures...but not everyone agrees to this newcomer joining them. They have managed to avoid the law because no one wants to admit they have been held up by women. When an another outlaw group returns to town, after escaping to Mexico, the gang might just have to pull off one more heist before retiring...but at what cost.
The novel is narrated by a three of the women - Hattie, in 1930s, as an old woman tells her story to a research assistant, Margaret (Garet) in 1877 through a diary, and Grace also in 1877 through her own notes. Each woman brings insight of the time, place and social norms and pressures. Despite this being a fictional account of women who become outlaws, this is also a realistic stories in a lot of ways. It is told with compassion, humour and action. I read this one slower than I would have liked as I wanted to live in this world for awhile. It was bittersweet finishing the last page. I really hope Lenhardt does another historical fiction as I am officially hooked.
I loved Melissa Lenhardt's western series, Sawbones so when I saw there was another historical fiction I had to read it! This book is a standalone (so far), but it does have some small cameos from previous characters (from Sawbones). As soon as I started this novel I was hooked. I loved the characters and the story, and that it doesn't shy away from being a western.
The novel is set post-civil war in America, where a "family" of women turn to a life of an outlaw gang to survive. A British widow (Garet), a former African-American slave (Hattie) and two uneducated young sisters running from their former life make up this family of outlaws. On their last job they pick up a woman (Grace) traveling the West to write about her adventures...but not everyone agrees to this newcomer joining them. They have managed to avoid the law because no one wants to admit they have been held up by women. When an another outlaw group returns to town, after escaping to Mexico, the gang might just have to pull off one more heist before retiring...but at what cost.
The novel is narrated by a three of the women - Hattie, in 1930s, as an old woman tells her story to a research assistant, Margaret (Garet) in 1877 through a diary, and Grace also in 1877 through her own notes. Each woman brings insight of the time, place and social norms and pressures. Despite this being a fictional account of women who become outlaws, this is also a realistic stories in a lot of ways. It is told with compassion, humour and action. I read this one slower than I would have liked as I wanted to live in this world for awhile. It was bittersweet finishing the last page. I really hope Lenhardt does another historical fiction as I am officially hooked.
January 19, 2019
I don’t believe I have ever read a western featuring a gang of outlaws that just happened to be women. Heresy is exactly that and the story captured my interest from the very beginning.
Written in journal style and giving the personal accounts of three different women involved, the story follows the years during which a gang of women robbed banks and stagecoaches and never got the credit, due to the fact that no one believed women were capable of such a thing.
Even though the book is about criminals, it’s a fairly clean read, with no gory violence or explicit sex. In fact, at times I detected a bit of slapstick humor in the writing.
Heresy is a very entertaining read, although it seemed to drag a bit near the end. This is the fourth novel that I have read by Melissa Lenhardt and this is my favorite thus far. Readers who like westerns and strong women will enjoy this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give an honest review.
Written in journal style and giving the personal accounts of three different women involved, the story follows the years during which a gang of women robbed banks and stagecoaches and never got the credit, due to the fact that no one believed women were capable of such a thing.
Even though the book is about criminals, it’s a fairly clean read, with no gory violence or explicit sex. In fact, at times I detected a bit of slapstick humor in the writing.
Heresy is a very entertaining read, although it seemed to drag a bit near the end. This is the fourth novel that I have read by Melissa Lenhardt and this is my favorite thus far. Readers who like westerns and strong women will enjoy this one!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Redhook Books for allowing me to read an advance copy and give an honest review.
March 25, 2019
I keep trying to read this book and I keep failing.
I want to love it and, on its surface, it has everything I should love. But I simply can't do it.
For me, it's a combination of the characters (specifically their different voices) and the storytelling style that just don't work for me.
I think that other readers will love it.
But I've tried 4 times now and I'm giving up.
I want to love it and, on its surface, it has everything I should love. But I simply can't do it.
For me, it's a combination of the characters (specifically their different voices) and the storytelling style that just don't work for me.
I think that other readers will love it.
But I've tried 4 times now and I'm giving up.
September 5, 2018
I got this as an advance reader copy, and it's a beautifully written story. I've read some of Lenhardt's other books and loved them. The author tells the story through interviews, newspaper articles, and journal entries. Very gritty, very real. I especially liked Hattie's voice.
August 20, 2018
Heresy is magnificent...it’s the thrilling, whip smart western we’ve been waiting for. I’ve always been a Melissa Lenhardt fan, but this one cements her legacy as a master of the genre.
September 16, 2021
Basically everything you could want based on the cover and description. It definitely lives up to the promise it sets. If you're a fan of westerns but wish the women in them had more to do, this book delivers in spades. I do think it was strange to have three overlapping POVs, which meant that important events were sometimes repeated, or the story was told out of order. It wasn't enough to call it a flaw, it was just a choice I didn't particularly like. I also didn't like the framing device of "this is a book about real people, it's really just a transcription of an old dusty diary I found." I really dislike that trope. I think I consider it a little cheap, like the author is trying to earn credibility for everything that comes after with a "hey this is just what the journal said happened." I don't know. It's a personal thing.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook version, which I feel really enhanced the experience.
Many thanks to Netgalley for the audiobook version, which I feel really enhanced the experience.
November 4, 2018
IT IS AMAZING IN IT'S SELF TO WRITE A BOOK THAT GIVES READERS AN ESCAPE FROM REALITY!! Lenhardt is an author with unbelievable talent in the piercing together of data extracted from different sources into a easy narrative. This is the story of the hardships of women with intelligence trying to win over the persecution of men in the west. Successful rancher and horse trainer Margaret Parker is forced from her home and is left with the intellect to pull off her revenge by becoming an outlaw. Was not sure if I would like this story but it is more than an old west tale; it is about fighting to keep a family not connected by blood together. Many unique characters grace the pages of this book and saddle the reader to gallop to the finish line. "A copy of this book was provided by Redhook Books via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion"
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January 20, 2019I'm calling it quits at 10% - a massive disappointment considering how much I enjoyed Sawbones (and the next two books in that trilogy to varying degrees). The writing here is just lazy. There's no nice way to say it - lazy. It's told to the reader, primarily through a WPA interview in the 1930s and the gang leader's journal entries. T-O-L-D. I felt no connection to any of the characters. There's no sense of place. Why? Because the author is choosing to tell the story instead of showing it to the reader as it's unfolding. You know what would have been great? Reading about a fictional western female outlaw gang as they're actually riding around being female outlaws - not to have their story told to me after the fact through journal entries and interviews.
Each chapter is labeled so when I noticed that future chapters continued in the "WPA Interview" and "Journal" vein I tapped out.
Each chapter is labeled so when I noticed that future chapters continued in the "WPA Interview" and "Journal" vein I tapped out.
January 2, 2019
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2019/0...
Here we are, back at the beginning! I had heard great things about this book--it's a Western about an all-female gang of outlaws, and should have been right up my alley. I had issues getting past the framing device, though (it's presented as a series of documents collected by a historian, but the likelihood of TWO characters writing journals in such a literary way, complete with dialogue, strains belief), and found it to be a little bit slow. I did like the main characters a lot, and think it would make a great movie. B/B+.
Here we are, back at the beginning! I had heard great things about this book--it's a Western about an all-female gang of outlaws, and should have been right up my alley. I had issues getting past the framing device, though (it's presented as a series of documents collected by a historian, but the likelihood of TWO characters writing journals in such a literary way, complete with dialogue, strains belief), and found it to be a little bit slow. I did like the main characters a lot, and think it would make a great movie. B/B+.
February 15, 2019
This book weaves fiction and historical facts/documents to tell the story of the first and only female gang in the American West, the Parker's Gang. These women are fierce, complex and resilient, and their stories are a testament to the struggle women had and continue to have to be treated with dignity and respect, as equals. This book not only addresses the issue of gender equality and oppression, but also the intersection between race and gender through the story of Hattie (and Ruby), sexual orientation and identity, and morality.
"I didn't think of men as individuals, but as toxic hole whose only goal was to protect their power by keeping women down, subservient." Lockbox 4163
"I didn't think of men as individuals, but as toxic hole whose only goal was to protect their power by keeping women down, subservient." Lockbox 4163
June 29, 2020
I love these Westerns written by Melissa Lenhardt! I have read her Sawbones series and just finished this one as well. This one showcases a gang of outlaw women causing 'trouble' but with lots of heart and connections, based on real historical characters. I hope she keeps writing Westerns!
March 23, 2019
I really loved this book. I have always loved westerns but I can only read so many white male centered stories before growing bored. This book was all western and yet totally different. It was great and while varied narrations aren’t always my thing it worked well here for me.
September 24, 2024
Finished reading: November 26th 2018
"But you've always got choices, Grace. And every single choice you make ripples out through your life and every other person you meet."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Redhook in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
December 27, 2018
“I didn’t think of men as individuals, but as a toxic hole whose only goal was to protect their power by keeping women down, subservient.”
The last time I read a western would have been The Quick and the Dead. They’ve never really factored high on my want to read list, and I have zero interest in western romances. But there was a bit of a run on western movies in the 90s and I used to enjoy them a lot. Heresy has all the elements needed to bring a western back onto the big screen. I truly think this novel would make a terrific movie. It’s got grit, a clever plot, and a set of memorable characters. And above all, it doesn’t romanticise the ‘wild west’. Nothing about Heresy is pretty, but it’s a cracking good read.
“That happened then, miners, farmers, businessmen buying wives to do the housework and spread their legs when demanded, squeeze out some children to put to work and make miserable by and by. Pioneering was a hard life for women. They gloss over it in the movies. Make the sodbuster some handsome, good-hearted fella. Make the cowboy honourable. Those types of men were thin on the ground in the West, let me tell you.”
Heresy tells the story of a fictional gang of female outlaws in the ‘wild west’ of America during the 1870s. Each of these women have been betrayed and damaged by men. Each of them want to live out their lives on their own terms. They are as badass as women get, but their loyalty to each other runs deep. They’re a family, and no one is going to get in the way of that bond. This novel is unapologetically feminist. It’s violent and sometimes disturbing. I loved every bit of it. It’s everything you want in a western and then some.
“Taking a man’s life is a sobering proposition, even if it is in the service of saving someone else’s. It’s been a few weeks. I’m over it now.”
The way this novel is structured was fantastic. It’s told as though it’s a true story, a non-fiction book being written by an historian and we are privy to her primary sources through journals, interview extracts, newspaper articles, essays and even a podcast. It’s an inventive way to tell a story, using fictional mixed media like this, and for me, it really worked. There were a couple of times, particularly towards the end when the action was ramped up, that I found it a tad repetitive when we would revisit a scene from a different perspective, but overall, I enjoyed this structure of storytelling a lot.
“The challenge was quickly agreed on: One job before the first snow. No killing or violence. Biggest take wins. Winner gets the ranch. My ranch. Loser leaves the area and finds another place to outlaw. Let me tell you right now: we’re going to win this bet, we’re going to shut Jed Spooner’s mouth, and we’re going to finally get the credit for the jobs we’ve done.”
There’s a lot of beauty to be found within the pages of Heresy, within the relationships between the women, the bond between the women and their horses, and the appreciation of the simple things that they each were seeking out of life. Melissa Lenhardt has a real way with words and there is some seriously gorgeous writing throughout this novel, as well a fair share of moments that had me welling up. I like this new angle on westerns, the feminist western if you like, and I’m keen to check out Melissa Lenhardt’s backlist. One of the titles is called ‘Sawbones’. How awesome is that title? I love it. I can highly recommend Heresy, particularly to those that don’t mind their fiction hard hitting and intelligent, with moralistic themes woven throughout the narrative. It is above all else a truly entertaining read, as wild west as you could get.
“My senses have been highly attuned to the world around me, as if longing to take everything in so the memory of it will stay with me, manifest itself in the afterlife. As if I deserve to be surrounded by things I love. As if I deserve heaven.”
Thanks is extended to Redhook via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Heresy for review.
The last time I read a western would have been The Quick and the Dead. They’ve never really factored high on my want to read list, and I have zero interest in western romances. But there was a bit of a run on western movies in the 90s and I used to enjoy them a lot. Heresy has all the elements needed to bring a western back onto the big screen. I truly think this novel would make a terrific movie. It’s got grit, a clever plot, and a set of memorable characters. And above all, it doesn’t romanticise the ‘wild west’. Nothing about Heresy is pretty, but it’s a cracking good read.
“That happened then, miners, farmers, businessmen buying wives to do the housework and spread their legs when demanded, squeeze out some children to put to work and make miserable by and by. Pioneering was a hard life for women. They gloss over it in the movies. Make the sodbuster some handsome, good-hearted fella. Make the cowboy honourable. Those types of men were thin on the ground in the West, let me tell you.”
Heresy tells the story of a fictional gang of female outlaws in the ‘wild west’ of America during the 1870s. Each of these women have been betrayed and damaged by men. Each of them want to live out their lives on their own terms. They are as badass as women get, but their loyalty to each other runs deep. They’re a family, and no one is going to get in the way of that bond. This novel is unapologetically feminist. It’s violent and sometimes disturbing. I loved every bit of it. It’s everything you want in a western and then some.
“Taking a man’s life is a sobering proposition, even if it is in the service of saving someone else’s. It’s been a few weeks. I’m over it now.”
The way this novel is structured was fantastic. It’s told as though it’s a true story, a non-fiction book being written by an historian and we are privy to her primary sources through journals, interview extracts, newspaper articles, essays and even a podcast. It’s an inventive way to tell a story, using fictional mixed media like this, and for me, it really worked. There were a couple of times, particularly towards the end when the action was ramped up, that I found it a tad repetitive when we would revisit a scene from a different perspective, but overall, I enjoyed this structure of storytelling a lot.
“The challenge was quickly agreed on: One job before the first snow. No killing or violence. Biggest take wins. Winner gets the ranch. My ranch. Loser leaves the area and finds another place to outlaw. Let me tell you right now: we’re going to win this bet, we’re going to shut Jed Spooner’s mouth, and we’re going to finally get the credit for the jobs we’ve done.”
There’s a lot of beauty to be found within the pages of Heresy, within the relationships between the women, the bond between the women and their horses, and the appreciation of the simple things that they each were seeking out of life. Melissa Lenhardt has a real way with words and there is some seriously gorgeous writing throughout this novel, as well a fair share of moments that had me welling up. I like this new angle on westerns, the feminist western if you like, and I’m keen to check out Melissa Lenhardt’s backlist. One of the titles is called ‘Sawbones’. How awesome is that title? I love it. I can highly recommend Heresy, particularly to those that don’t mind their fiction hard hitting and intelligent, with moralistic themes woven throughout the narrative. It is above all else a truly entertaining read, as wild west as you could get.
“My senses have been highly attuned to the world around me, as if longing to take everything in so the memory of it will stay with me, manifest itself in the afterlife. As if I deserve to be surrounded by things I love. As if I deserve heaven.”
Thanks is extended to Redhook via NetGalley for providing me with a copy of Heresy for review.
October 18, 2018
A classic western brought to live with modern form and deep, rich characters. I enjoyed everything about this book from the conceit, the characters, the use of emotion, and enough action and shoot outs to keep the most adrenaline driven ready happy. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoys westerns or an adventure novel with strong characters with both plot-based and emotional pay-off.
December 10, 2019
When you can't wait for reading time at night to dive back in to the story that has you thinking about it all day.
Like that.
Heresy is the story of a group of abused, misfit, survivor women in the Wild West who find each other and through Robin Hood type outlawing, fund their sanctuary and keep a hideout town afloat. The relationships between the women is tastefully done, tragically told and are heartbreakingly beautiful, each woman at the Heresy Ranch for their own reasons.
I devoured this book, relished the story, feasted on the characters and rooted for their survival. Lenhardt writes the main characters in their unique voices, telling the tale of the Parker gang with interviews, field notes, diaries, telegraphs and newspaper articles which cleverly gave us many view points of the same event and allowed us to see the repression of women in a man's world back then.
Don't read this if you are looking for a quick, easy read that won't leave you thinking long after the last page is read. Do read this if you love women's fiction and are progressive enough to understand that love is love is love and we all are led to it differently.
Well done, Melissa Lenhardt!
Like that.
Heresy is the story of a group of abused, misfit, survivor women in the Wild West who find each other and through Robin Hood type outlawing, fund their sanctuary and keep a hideout town afloat. The relationships between the women is tastefully done, tragically told and are heartbreakingly beautiful, each woman at the Heresy Ranch for their own reasons.
I devoured this book, relished the story, feasted on the characters and rooted for their survival. Lenhardt writes the main characters in their unique voices, telling the tale of the Parker gang with interviews, field notes, diaries, telegraphs and newspaper articles which cleverly gave us many view points of the same event and allowed us to see the repression of women in a man's world back then.
Don't read this if you are looking for a quick, easy read that won't leave you thinking long after the last page is read. Do read this if you love women's fiction and are progressive enough to understand that love is love is love and we all are led to it differently.
Well done, Melissa Lenhardt!
August 15, 2018
I had the privilege to receive an Advanced Reader Copy of Melissa Lenhardt’s newest #feministwestern historical, HERESY. A beautifully crafted, rich story told from two head strong, courageous women that leap from the page. Lenhardt is in her element bringing the reader deep into a different time, showing us a world ignored by the history books! It was so much fun telling my young daughters about the “cowgirl” book I couldn’t to put down, and is the exact reason stories like HERESY need to be told!
August 19, 2018
I am sorry but this is not my kind of book. I do not enjoy reading abou cowboys and thieves who kill people just for the fun of it.
I have never liked to read books about the old west. I was hoping that this book would be different because it was about women who robbed the stage coaches.
Sorry I could not give you a better review but I will recommend it to my male friends who enjoy books like this. My neighbor, Steve will like it. He reads only non fiction and I will let him read it.
I have never liked to read books about the old west. I was hoping that this book would be different because it was about women who robbed the stage coaches.
Sorry I could not give you a better review but I will recommend it to my male friends who enjoy books like this. My neighbor, Steve will like it. He reads only non fiction and I will let him read it.
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.
March 11, 2019
Very good book and a very good story. The author did a great job creating likable outlaws who happened to be female. I also learned quite a bit of history from this book that I'd never known or learned about in school. The author, Melissa Lenhardt, must have really done her research it's a treasure trove of information. The main character Margaret Parker is the head of the outlaw gang of women and her role in this book is outstanding. You'll instantly like and even respect her. I know she's an outlaw, but not what you'd think. This book is one I'll be thinking about for a while. Something that screams good book to me.
April 21, 2019
4.5 Stars
I had no idea the missing subgenre in my reading life would be a feminist western. This was a fantastic read, about a group of women who come together and become Outlaws. It shows how women are the forgotten ones in history and it’s time for that to change. And just as importantly, this book was just plain fun reading.
I had no idea the missing subgenre in my reading life would be a feminist western. This was a fantastic read, about a group of women who come together and become Outlaws. It shows how women are the forgotten ones in history and it’s time for that to change. And just as importantly, this book was just plain fun reading.
July 7, 2022
Seriously a great book. I loved the characters and the adventures. I cried at the end which is quite rare for me when reading a book.
I liked how the story was told through historical documents it made it feel more real and like there's probably a true story out there similar if a little less dramatic that has been lost to history.
I highly recommend the audiobook the narration for each character was fantastic.
I liked how the story was told through historical documents it made it feel more real and like there's probably a true story out there similar if a little less dramatic that has been lost to history.
I highly recommend the audiobook the narration for each character was fantastic.
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November 12, 2018Full review coming soon to TheZestQuest.com, then reposted at GR. Even though I wasn't completely enamored by some of the techniques used in this story, I can't say enough good things about the author's talent at writing westerns. She engages me completely.
February 22, 2021
4.5 really.
February 22, 2023
Intense, fabulous, unexpected and a rip roaring adventure. I loved the structure of the book, and each of the very complicated characters.
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