Westward Women by Alice Martin Review

Westward Women by Alice Martin

Literary Fiction

Out 3/10/26

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Westward Women— Alice’s Martin’s debut novel— is the haunting tale of a virus spreading throughout women in a reimagined version of the 1970s. This virus creates an itch and a strong urge to leave behind your life and go WEST! Basically, this disease makes women leave their jobs, families, everything because their desire to go to the Pacific Ocean is so strong. Once they get there, they largely disappear.

This book follows three different women all affected by the illness is various way. The setting is eerie throughout, and each perspective equally interesting— which can be tricky to find in books that follow multiple POVs.

Teenie (voiced in the audiobook by Saskia Maarleveld- with a delightful southern accent that endeared me endlessly to Teenie, is infected herself and following a man called “the piper” out to the Pacifc while grieving her sister.

Aimee (voiced in the audiobook by the lovely Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, who has narrated some great audiobooks like Dream by the Shadows)  had a friend get infected and go missing, and is diligently searching for her, and trying to track down the piper.

Eve (voiced in the audiobook by a narrator I hadn’t heard before really enjoyed- Mia Wurgaft) is a journalist reporting on the illness.

In the audiobook, the production was excellent and all three voices were unique and personable.

The setting and atmosphere making this book shine most. I would compare it to The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker or The Poppy Fields by Nikki Erlick. At times the pace was a little bit slow, but I did really enjoy this book.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press, Alice Walker, Macmallian Audio, and NetGalley for the galley and ALC.