Widows

by Jess Montgomery

Book Overview

"The Widows kept me on the edge of my seat. Montgomery is a masterful storyteller." --Lee Martin, author of Pulitzer Prize-Finalist The Bright Forever

Inspired by the true story of Ohio's first female sheriff, Jess Montgomery's powerful, lyrical debut is the story of two women who take on murder and corruption at the heart of their community.

Kinship, Ohio, 1924: When Lily Ross learns that her husband, Daniel, the town's widely respected sheriff, has been killed while transporting a prisoner in an apparent accident, she vows to seek the truth about his death.

Hours after his funeral, a stranger appears at her door. Marvena Whitcomb, a coal miner's widow, is unaware that Daniel has died and begs to speak with him about her missing daughter.

From miles away but worlds apart, Lily's and Marvena's lives collide as they realize that Daniel was perhaps not the man that either of them believed him to be.

*BONUS CONTENT: This edition of The Widows includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guide

"The Widows is a gripping, beautifully written novel about two women avenging the murder of the man they both loved."--Hallie Ephron, New York Times bestselling author of You'll Never Know, Dear

"Jess Montgomery's gorgeous writing can be just as dark and terrifying as a subterranean cave when the candle is snuffed out, but her prose can just as easily lead you to the surface for a gasp of air and a glimpse of blinding, beautiful sunlight. This is a powerful novel: a tale of loss, greed, and violence, and the story of two powerful women who refuse to stand down."--Wiley Cash, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Ballad, A Land More Kind than Home, and This Dark Road to Mercy

"[A] flinty, heartfelt mystery that sings of hawks and history, of coal mines and the urgent fight for social justice."--Julia Keller, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Bone on Bone

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1250223202
• ISBN13: 9781250223203
• Release Date: January 2020
• Publisher: St. Martins Press-3PL
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.5" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Loved It!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story set in the Appalachians in Kinship, Ohio in 1925 when most people's lives were dependent on coal mining and moonshine. This was back in the days before the Mine Workers Union, when miners were forced to work in the most deplorable of conditions and many, many lives were lost in the mines. In The Widows, me meet Lily Ross, widow of sheriff Daniel Ross, and Marvina Whitcomb, widow of a coal miner who is searching for her daughter Eula who has disappeared. Marvena is unaware that Daniel has died when she shows up at Lily's house to speak to the Sheriff about her missing daughter. Miles away but worlds apart, Lily and Marvena form an unlikely friendship and set out to find the truth of Daniel's murder, the disappearance of Eula and take on the corruption at the very heart of their community. The story kept me reading and interested and I look forward to the next installment of the Kinship series.