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61 pages 2 hours read

Victor Lavalle

Lone Women

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023

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Part 3, Chapters 48-68Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3, Chapter 48 Summary

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains descriptions of racism, anti-trans bias, graphic violence, and murder.

The opening chapter of Part 3 begins with a flashback to the day that Adelaide’s parents were killed. She recalls that they had an uncharacteristically big lunch and went out to the barn later that evening without telling her. Her father was holding a shotgun and her mother was holding a Bible. At the time, Adelaide realized that they intended to kill Elizabeth. She watched and listened from her bedroom window, first hearing the sound of the shotgun and then her parents’ screams. She knew that she could go to their aid, but she hesitated before sitting down on her bed with a book, tacitly condemning her parents to death. Her narration of this memory reveals that the creature is named Elizabeth and is her twin, for both Adelaide and the creature were born from the same mother, just minutes apart. The midwife attempted to kill Elizabeth when she was born, but their father saved her, and from that moment on, the Henrys committed to raising Elizabeth while simultaneously imprisoning her and hiding her from the wider world.

Back in the present moment, Adelaide relays all of this information to Bertie, Fiona, Grace, and Sam. Upon hearing the tale, Bertie expresses sympathy for Adelaide’s sister Elizabeth, and Grace feels pity toward Adelaide’s parents because they found themselves in such an impossible situation. Sam asks whether they should go in search of Elizabeth to bring her back.

Part 3, Chapter 49 Summary

This chapter is told from Elizabeth’s perspective. She reflects on the fact that she was called Elizabeth at one point in her life, but she considers that time to be long behind her. Now, she is hiding in her cave in the mountains when she suddenly senses the presence of humans. There are two of them, and they leave an offering of dead prairie dogs at the mouth of the cave. Elizabeth hears them re-enter their home, a small cabin that lies further down the mountainside.

Part 3, Chapter 50 Summary

Mrs. Reed speaks to a crowd that has gathered at the opera house. She is addressing the various deaths and misfortunes that have befallen the town recently. She recalls an Indigenous man named Rocky Boy who lived in the area and often shared mythological stories about creatures. On story detailed the actions of two great wolves that caused the disappearances of many people on the nearby trails and roads. Mrs. Reed introduces two men who have similarly sensational but very important stories to share. Matthew and Finn Kirby then take the stage next to her.

Part 3, Chapter 51 Summary

Delmus Mudge has finally recovered from the collarbone injury he suffered when confronting Elizabeth. Mr. Reed has invited him to meet at his home. Delmus’s brother Joab greets Delmus and ushers him inside to sit at the kitchen table. Mr. Reed praises Joab for repaying his brother’s medical bills and for being a hard-working employee. Although Mr. Reed expects Delmus to be similarly grateful, Delmus shows no interest in prostrating himself. Mr. Reed presses Delmus for details about what happened on the night the horses went missing. He also explains that Joab has already helped him resolve the issue by taking him to the culprits: the wolfers at Rocky Point. Delmus asks Mr. Reed if he knows why Joab was familiar with the wolfers, and Joab worries that their family history will be revealed.

Delmus recognizes that Mr. Reed does not have their best interests at heart. Feeling emboldened by the promise he gave to the creature to be a beacon of truth, he strikes Mr. Reed over the head with a whiskey bottle, knocking him unconscious. Delmus tries to justify his actions to Joab, but Joab has come to enjoy his new life and position with Mr. Reed. He does not want to give it up or to allow his criminal past to come to light. He physically subdues Delmus, attempting to silence him, and he eventually kills him. Mr. Reed regains consciousness and offers his appreciation to Joab for protecting him.

Part 3, Chapter 52 Summary

Elizabeth Henry’s hunger is not satiated by the prairie dogs. She descends to the cabin, curious about the people who left food for her. Inside, she finds a small man and woman who speak to her in an unfamiliar language. They approach her carefully but willingly, demonstrating that they are not afraid of her. In fact, they seem to be familiar with her. The woman shows Elizabeth a small figure on their mantle and tells her that it is something they brought with them from their homeland, Tepoztlán. She tells Elizabeth that the figure is a representation of her and refers to Elizabeth as a goddess.

Part 3, Chapter 53 Summary

After Adelaide finishes her family’s story, she, Grace, Fiona, and Bertie ride away from the Blind Pig and go in search of Elizabeth. Grace splits off from the group to take Sam home first. Sam expresses his frustration that he cannot accompany the women on their search-and-rescue mission. As a tradeoff, Grace offers to tell him a story about one of the ghost towns of the American West.

As Grace and Sam head back to their homestead, she tells the story of Glendale, which she doesn’t realize that Fiona and Adelaide have just visited. She explains to Sam that the town was once a prosperous mining town, but it fell on hard times. Eventually, there were only a few miners who remained, and they were fearful that they would not survive the hard Montana winter. Many of them abandoned the town, but the ones who remained decided to seek shelter in one of the now-defunct charcoal kilns. Someone lit a fire in the kiln to keep warm, and they all died, either by smoke inhalation or from something much worse. As Grace concludes the tale, she and Sam arrive at their homestead and are surprised to find Mrs. Reed and her Busy Bees waiting for them. Mrs. Reed tells Grace that her husband and his men have gone in search of her friends.

Part 3, Chapter 54 Summary

Meanwhile, Adelaide, Fiona, and Bertie ride to the region in which they assume that Elizabeth may be hiding: the remote mountains of the surrounding landscape. Adelaide is still in near-disbelief that she has shared her family’s sordid secret with these women, whom she has known for such a short time. Moreover, she is shocked that sharing this secret was not an earth-shattering event. It occurs to Adelaide that perhaps she never needed to keep this secret at all. This revelation causes her to collapse and fall from her horse. Fortunately, Bertie and Fiona are there to catch her. They let her know that they will support her. Suddenly, Fiona notices a figure approaching in the darkness.

Part 3, Chapter 55 Summary

Sam has been taken to Mrs. Reed’s house. His mother is nowhere to be found, and he keeps asking Mrs. Reed where she is. Mrs. Reed leads him upstairs and tells Sam that she knows that he has a secret. She takes Sam to the third floor of her home, the attic, in which there is a crib that looks as if it has never been used. Mrs. Reed confesses to Sam that she gave birth to a child many years ago in her home, but she was able to keep the child hidden from the wider community. Sam asks if it was a boy or a girl, and Mrs. Reed says that she doesn’t know because the child died; Mr. Reed killed it because it was a “monster.”

Mrs. Reed tells Sam that she knows that Grace killed her husband, Sam’s father, and she cannot blame her for it. However, she does not condone the decisions that Grace has made about raising Sam. Mrs. Reed produces a dress and tells Sam that she had it made for him not long after they first met. She addresses him as Samantha, revealing that Sam was assigned female at birth. Mrs. Reed insists that Sam put on the dress, and Joab joins them in the attic. Sam recognizes him as one of the boys who attacked him and his mother. Mrs. Reed asks Joab to stay and keep Sam company, stating that they are both now part of the Reed family.

Part 3, Chapter 56 Summary

The figure that approaches Adelaide, Bertie, and Fiona is Mr. Clement Cardinal, an Indigenous man from Canada, who often rides across the border to provide supplies to Bertie. He warns the women that he has seen a group of white men riding westward with urgency. Adelaide realizes that they must be riding to her cabin, and that the men must be from the town of Big Sandy, come to dole out their punishment on her and the other women. Clement Cardinal says that if his wagon was empty, he would transport her safely across the border, but Adelaide dismisses him, knowing that they still have work to do. Mr. Cardinal accompanies them for some distance, but when he sees that they plan to scale the mountains in the middle of the night, he declines to go further. Berties tells him to wait for them back at the Blind Pig.

Part 3, Chapter 57 Summary

The group of riders that Clement Cardinal spotted consists of Mr. Reed, Matthew and Finn Kirby, McNamara, Marlow, and Mrs. Sterling’s teenage son. As the leader, Mr. Reed spends the ride reflecting on Matthew Kirby’s story about the creature that Adelaide Henry was keeping in her trunk. The creature reminds him of the monstrous being to which his wife gave birth many years ago. He killed that one immediately, with his own two hands. He is almost angry at the fact that another family, when presented with the same type of demon child, chose to raise it instead of killing it.

The posse arrives at Adelaide’s cabin, which is empty. Caught up in an unreasoning fury, Mr. Reed demands that they burn the whole thing to the ground. Matthew and Finn locate the steamer trunk in the root cellar and drag it out to prevent it from being burned with the rest of Adelaide’s belongings. They plan to carry the trunk with them as a way to re-secure the creature. Suddenly, the group spots a giant winged creature swooping down from the sky in the distance.

Part 3, Chapter 58 Summary

Adelaide asks Bertie why she is being so standoffish, and Bertie admits that she feels some measure of disdain toward Adelaide and her family. At this point, she doesn’t believe that Elizabeth Henry is actually a monster; instead, she believes that Elizabeth is merely a pariah who has been ostracized and mistreated for unclear reasons. Bertie considers her own upbringing, for she was born during the height of enslavement in America. She recalls how deeply she wished for an ally during those difficult times. Bertie assumes that Adelaide’s sister could have used support rather than scorn. In the meantime, Fiona sees something in the distance. Elizabeth suddenly swoops down, eviscerating Adelaide’s horse and carrying her off into the night. Bertie is shocked to realize that Adelaide’s monster is literally a monster. Soon, Mr. Reed and his posse ride up and confront her and Fiona.

Part 3, Chapter 59 Summary

Elizabeth carries Adelaide through the air. Realizing her predicament, Adelaide fights her way out of Elizabeth’s grip and falls to the ground, landing in pain. She discovers the small cabin in which the man and woman who visited Elizabeth live. Upon entering, she asks where her sister is, and the inhabitants know exactly who Adelaide is and to whom she is referring. They introduce themselves as Francisco and Carlota. They provide Adelaide with tea. After drinking it, Adelaide feels strange and realizes that she has been drugged. They claim that the drug will help her “see more clearly” (244). Adelaide leaves the cabin and follows Elizabeth’s tracks up the mountain path. Along the way, the landscape around her seems to shift, and her family’s home in the Lucerne Valley appears before her.

Adelaide arrives at the cabin in which her sister has been hiding. She confronts Elizabeth, who is now huge: much bigger than Adelaide remembers. In fact, the whole cave seems larger than is physically possible, although this may be a trick of the drugged tea. Adelaide confesses to Elizabeth that she chose not to intervene when Elizabeth killed their parents. In fact, Adelaide hoped that the three of them would kill each other so that she would finally be free of her familial burden. Adelaide apologizes to Elizabeth for not being a better sister. Elizabeth draws in close, and it feels as if she is on fire. Adelaide begins to cry, enveloped by the intense heat surrounding Elizabeth.

Part 3, Chapter 60 Summary

Mrs. Reed is back on stage at the opera house, addressing another rapt audience. This time she discusses Bertie, Fiona, and Grace, explaining that their guilt and shame comes from the relationship they developed with Adelaide, who has brought a “monster” to the town. During her speech, she opens a burlap sack and pulls out a length of rope. One of her Busy Bees leads the three “guilty” women onto the stage. Mrs. Reed tells the crowd that the women have refused to share Adelaide’s whereabouts. As a result, they must face their own judgment. Mrs. Reed attempts to explain the events that will soon follow, but she is overcome by emotion. Mr. Reed steps in and informs the crowd that tonight they will all be complicit, either as participants or as witnesses, to the hanging of these women.

Part 3, Chapter 61 Summary

Joab enters the attic where Sam is sitting awkwardly on the bed, wearing the dress from Mrs. Reed. He asks Joab where his mother is and when he can see her, but Joab tries to deflect these questions. When Sam asks Joab about his mother again, Joab says that she was killed. Sam replies that his father was killed, too. When he reveals that his mother was the one who killed his father, Sam rises in esteem in Joab’s eyes. Joab also realizes that he feels some sympathy for Sam. As Joab considers these new feelings, Sam pulls out his newspaper clippings and begins to read through them. Joab is fascinated by them. Sam asks Joab if he would also like to look through the newspaper headlines, and Joab agrees.

Part 3, Chapter 62 Summary

The hanging in the opera house begins, complete with musical accompaniment. Mrs. Reed is committed to the idea that the women’s execution will be a spectacle. As the women rise from the floor, hanging from their nooses, the door to the theater opens, and Adelaide enters. She looks distressed and bedraggled. She announces to Mrs. Reed that she has come to offer her a second chance. If Mrs. Reed lets the women go, she will be spared. Mrs. Reed does not comply. Matthew Kirby and Mr. Reed also step forward to say they have no intention of letting Adelaide or any of her companions walk free. Adelaide makes a mental note that the audience members have played no part in this violence, so they will not be punished. Then, she announces the arrival of her sister to those gathered onstage.

Part 3, Chapter 63 Summary

Freed from her bonds, Grace bursts through the front doors of the Reed household, tearing the house apart in her search for Sam. Fiona and Bertie attempt to calm her down, and suddenly, the three hear six pistol shots. Just as they realize that the noise came from the attic, the door opens tentatively, revealing Joab. Upon seeing Joab, the Mudge boy who shot her, Grace flies into a rage, but Sam stops her. When Grace realizes that Sam is unharmed, she hugs him. She then asks Sam why he is wearing a dress and how it got so dirty. Sam notes that the blood came from Grace, as she is covered in it. Grace assures him that the blood doesn’t belong to her.

Part 3, Chapter 64 Summary

Grace, Bertie, and Fiona apprehend Joab and take him next door to the opera house. Adelaide emerges, and Joab asks to see Mr. and Mrs. Reed. Adelaide attempts to dissuade him but eventually relents and allows him to enter the opera house. Fiona and Bertie follow, but Grace remains outside with Sam. The inside of the opera house has become a scene of carnage, with seats ripped out and the walls and floor covered in blood. Joab sees the remains of Matthew and Finn Kirby sitting in the orchestra seats. Mrs. Reed’s beloved theater organ has been toppled on its side, and beneath it are the dismembered body parts of the Reeds and the Busy Bees. The creature, Elizabeth, emerges from behind the curtain, and Joab resigns himself to his fate, assuming that he is about to be devoured. Instead, Adelaide persuades her sister to spare Joab.

Part 3, Chapter 65 Summary

Elizabeth reflects on her name, now feeling pleased that it belongs to her. She is also glad that she was able to protect her sister and the other women, and to exact vengeance on their behalf, since it was something that she freely chose to do.

Part 3, Chapter 66 Summary

The women return to the Blind Pig, where Clement Cardinal is still waiting for them. He is glad to see they have survived the events of the night. The group discusses the possibility of going with him to Canada. However, they would be unable to homestead in Canada, since Canada does not provide land to “lone women” as the United States does. Upon his departure, Clement Cardinal discovers that someone has stolen the remaining furs from his wagon. Meanwhile, the women discuss their next course of action and decide to stay in Montana, since it is still so vast and uncultivated. Fiona suggests that they seek out one of the many ghost towns she has visited over the past several years to use as their hideaway.

Part 3, Chapter 67 Summary

It is revealed that Joab is the one who stole Clement Cardinal’s furs to cover Delmus’s body, symbolically keeping his brother warm. Delmus is lying dead in the back of Mr. Reed’s automobile. Joab drives the car to the city of Great Falls and burns it. He is tempted to use the distraction of the burning car to rob the nearby houses, but he reminds himself that he is now committed to living an honest life. Soon afterward, he signs up to serve in the Navy and joins the fight for the US in World War I. While he is traveling to the battlefields of Europe, he thinks back to the moment that he shared with Sam and wishes that he had a way to express his gratitude.

Part 3, Chapter 68 Summary

Adelaide and her companions find a nearby ghost town that was abandoned due to disease. The group decides to make their new home here. They travel between their new town and Big Sandy to gather necessary items for their survival. They return to Big Sandy one final time to burn down the opera house, which means that almost all the nearby buildings go up in flames.

Eventually, other women, some alone and some with their children in tow, arrive in the town that Adelaide, Bertie, Fiona, Grace, and Elizabeth set up. They all arrive purposefully, announcing that they’ve “been looking for this place” (274). The town grows by leaps and bounds. Elizabeth becomes a significant figure, especially among the children of the town. In recognition of the leadership and bravery shown by Adelaide and Elizabeth Henry, the town is officially named Two Sisters.

Part 3, Chapters 48-68 Analysis

With the majority of the novel focused upon The Burden of Keeping Secrets, the daring acts of unveiling secrets and uncovering the truth become the prevailing ideas of the final section of Lone Women. Most significantly, Adelaide shows her chosen friends and allies a new level of trust as she reveals that the creature from is in fact her twin sister, Elizabeth. As she reveals these deeply hidden truths to her friends, she also finds that she must confront some nasty truths about herself, for as she admits to the women, she did not intervene in her parents’ attempt to kill Elizabeth because she “hoped–in the ugliest part of her heart–that given enough time all three of them would die” (204). In this moment, Adelaide confesses what she has tried to deny throughout the novel: that she desperately longed to be free of the burden of her family, no matter what the cost might be.

The revelation of secrets continues as Mrs. Reed’s actions bring Sam’s secret to light, explaining the reason why the townsfolk avoid him and his mother. As Mrs. Reed’s prejudiced insistence on imposing a gender on Sam reveals, Sam was in fact born with the name of Samantha, but Grace permits him to present as the gender with which he identifies. Although this period of history would not have had access to modern-day language to discuss and understand transgender individuals, Sam is nonetheless a trans character, further illuminating the author’s attempts to honor all the overlooked individuals who inhabited the American frontier and the “wild west” landscape of this stage in American history.

The unspoken events in Mrs. Reed’s own past also inform her erratic decisions in these final chapters. Sam’s identity is a particular point of contention for Mrs. Reed, who has several secrets of her own. Most notable among them is that she once gave birth to a monstrous child not unlike Adelaide’s sister Elizabeth. However, instead of deciding to “raise” this child, Mr. Reed killed it immediately. When Mrs. Reed relates this story, Sam expresses pity for her, but Mrs. Reed dismisses his concerns, claiming that her husband “did what was right” (228). Mrs. Reed’s stark and rigid sense of right and wrong also drives her to take Sam away from his mother, for in her prejudiced mindset, Sam’s gender and gender presentation are “wrong” and need to be corrected. Thus, she decides that it is up to her to “save” him and give him a “better” home. It is also important to note that she sees Sam as a stand-in for the child she lost, providing Mrs. Reed with a second chance to raise the “right” kind of child and to be a good mother.

The concluding section of the novel also provides new insight into the feelings and innermost thoughts of the creature, Elizabeth. Contrary to her earlier depiction as an instinctual, bloodthirsty monster, she is in fact a sentient, sensitive being with memories and dreams. She experiences hunger, but she also feels longing, anguish, and frustration, as well as a strong connection to Adelaide. Her connection to her sister is evidenced by the fact that she constantly thinks of Adelaide, even when trying to keep her painful memories at bay. Although the full story behind Elizabeth’s nature is never revealed, the novel does provide one possibility with the introduction of Carlota and Francisco. They are Mexican immigrants from the town of Tepoztlán, and they treat Elizabeth with reverence and familiarity, even going so far as to call her a “goddess.” The very fact that they recognize and honor Elizabeth’s monstrous form implies that she is in fact a creature of myth and legend: something that is not so much monstrous as it is otherworldly. Moreover, Carlota and Francisco’s reverence indicates that Elizabeth’s power should be honored rather than feared. Like so many of the people and places in this novel, Elizabeth Henry is more than what she initially appears to be, and it is only with the full revelation of her life’s secrets that she, like Adelaide, is finally able to find a measure of community among the other Women and Minorities in the American West.

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