The Unmothers

A New York Times Best Horror Fiction Book of 2024
An August 2024 Indie Next List Pick
One of Paste magazine’s Most Anticipated Horror Books of Summer 2024

“An impressive debut, an intricate and unsettling narrative about desperation that is full of stellar writing.”—Gabino Iglesias, New York Times

“[The Unmothers] is a triumph of folk horror that will gratify lovers of Midsommar and The Handmaid’s Tale.”—Jennifer Embree, Library Journal, starred review

“Debut author Anderson crafts a truly unsettling gothic horror story. Horror fans will be rattled.”—Publishers Weekly

“A gripping, grounded yarn about the forgotten corners of the country, the pains of pregnancy and motherhood, and, yes, the raw, majestic beauty of horses.”—Boing Boing

“Desolate, heartrending, and genuinely scary.”—Gretchen Felker-Martin, author of Manhunt

“The Unmothers is exquisite and haunting in equal measure. . . . Nauseatingly tense and crushingly insightful. This book represents an absolutely vital entry into the horror canon.”—Sarah Gailey, nationally best-selling author of The Echo Wife and Just Like Home

“At the crossroads of True Detective and Emma Donoghue’s The Wonder, this equine Wicker Man manifests a mood equal parts majestic and terrifying, tragic and sublime.”—Clay McLeod Chapman, author of What Kind of Mother and Ghost Eaters

“Leslie Anderson writes with searing honesty and a palpable compassion for her characters in this story about the terrifying ways people cling to—and weaponize—belief systems. The Unmothers is riveting; the evil it depicts is insidious and real.”—Anne Heltzel, author of Just Like Mother

“The Unmothers is a grimly beautiful novel about the terrifying collective power of women’s sublimated hope, grief, and rage.”—Emily C. Hughes, author of Horror for Weenies and former editor of TorNightfire.com

“The Unmothers is brilliant. It is beautiful, heartbreaking, terrifying, and sharply intelligent.”—Sam Rebelein, author of Edenville

“Terrifying in its beauty, horror, and power, this is a breathless read and a groundbreaking debut. You will never forget its dark spell.”—Alison Stine, Philip K. Dick Award–winning author of Road Out of Winter and Trashlands

“Haunting. Anderson’s deft debut fuses intriguing small-town mystery, disturbing horror, and a supernatural horse cult into an urgent and original tale.”—James Kennedy, author of Bride of the Tornado and Dare to Know

“Absolutely stunning. Leslie J. Anderson arrives on the horror scene with an atmospheric folk tale brimming with horrors both real-world and horrifyingly ‘other.’ With its flawed, fascinating characters and eerie, brooding mood, The Unmothers is a masterpiece in slow-dripping tension that had me desperately turning the pages long into the night.”—Josh Winning, author of Heads Will Roll

“Those who enjoy horror with feminist themes will fall easily into The Unmothers.”—Amanda Mullen, ScreenRant