The Woods All Black

Name: The Woods All Black
Brand: Tantor Audio
Availability: InStock
Author: Lee Mandelo
ISBN: 9798855574289

Author: Lee Mandelo

Narrator: Charli Burrow

Unabridged: 4 hr 35 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/28/2025

Categories: Fiction, Lgbtq+, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Romance, Dark Fantasy

Synopsis

Leslie Bruin is assigned to the backwoods township of Spar Creek by the Frontier Nursing Service, under its usual mandate: vaccinate the flock, birth babies, and weather the judgements of churchy locals who look at him and see a failed woman. Forged in the fires of the Western Front and reborn in the cafes of Paris, Leslie believes he can handle whatever is thrown at him—but Spar Creek holds a darkness beyond his nightmares.

Something ugly festers within the local congregation, and its malice has focused on a young person they insist is an unruly tomboy who must be brought to heel. Violence is bubbling when Leslie arrives, ready to spill over, and he'll have to act fast if he intends to be of use. But the hills enfolding Spar Creek have a mind of their own, and the woods are haunted in ways Leslie does not understand.

The Woods All Black is a story of passion, prejudice, and power—an Appalachian period piece that explores reproductive justice and bodily autonomy, the terrors of small-town religiosity, and the necessity of fighting tooth and claw to live as who you truly are.

Contains mature themes.

About Lee Mandelo

LEE MANDELO is a writer, critic, and occasional editor whose fields of interest include speculative and queer fiction, especially when the two coincide. They have been a past nominee for various awards including the Nebula, Lambda, and Hugo; their work can be found in magazines such as Tor.com, Uncanny Magazine, Clarkesworld, and Nightmare. Aside from a brief stint overseas learning to speak Scouse, Lee has spent their life ranging across Kentucky, currently living in Lexington and pursuing a PhD at the University of Kentucky.

Reviews

Goodreads review by gray (my.rainbow.bookshelf) on March 26, 2024

All I have to say is gaslight, gatekeep, boy-girlboss, and above all else fuck your monsters......more

Goodreads review by Kylee on April 28, 2024

When Frontier Nursing Service and World War 1 frontline nursing veteran Leslie Bruin is requested to serve as resident nurse in small town Spar Creek, KY, the trans-man encounters more than he bargained for. The people of Spar Creek are far from welcoming, the pastor preaches brimstone and hellfire,......more

Goodreads review by Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) on February 27, 2024

4.5 stars rounded up Set in 1920's Appalachia, The Woods All Black blends horror, revenge, and erotic romance with a trans protagonist. The tone of this novella is unsettling from near the beginning, and draws on real historical fact to flesh out the world and conflicts. The story follows Leslie, a t......more

Goodreads review by Evie on April 21, 2024

4.5 stars rounded up. Lee Mandelo is my King of Queer horror. The way he incorporates this sense of claustrophobic, creeping dread heavily featuring nature in his stories is so effective to me. I find his writing craft to just be so atmospheric. Set in the 1920s, in a remote Appalachian town, Leslie......more

Goodreads review by Greekchoir on June 23, 2024

Lee Mandelo loves a weird, gory story, and with The Woods All Black he's given us another one. Leslie is a closeted transman working as a nurse in Spar Creek. He knows that the small Appalachian town doesn't trust him, but he's working to help as many people as possible - in particular, another tran......more