strictly literary: heresy by melissa lenhardt

my husband and i do not read similar books, like at all. even what we would consider our favorites in classic literature varies greatly. and we're both former english majors with degrees in publishing. reading heresy, i thought this is one book he would really like. and lest you think that because he would like it i would not, i'm here to tell you that isn't true.

i don't know if the political climate that is so toxic to women made this read feel so empowering, but it certainly helped. this book is part western adventure and part friendship drama and in all its parts it's so good. i loved garet parker and hattie lacoeur, i loved joan and stella, i loved claire, even dorcas, as much as she is an antagonist, she's worthy of admiration and is another example of indomitable woman. these women are complicated, good and bad, kind and petty, but that's what makes them so fascinating.

one of my favorite things about the narrative is that it's not straightforward. like the historian who provides the framing of the novel, we are piecing together the story of the parker gang from interview transcripts, private journals and correspondence, and newspaper clips. i find this kind of storytelling very appealing. and it's a reminder that all history is part story, depending on who is doing the telling, the narrative isn't always reliable.

i've read all of melissa lenhardt's books, in part because she's an author at the agency where i work, but also because i really enjoy and appreciate her writing, her ability to craft a good story. i know that heresy was challenging for her to complete, but in the end, i think it's probably her best work yet.

**heresy will publish on october 2, 2018. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of melissa lenhardt.