The Tobacco Wives

My weekend read… The Tobacco Wives

Summary: North Carolina, 1946. One woman. A discovery that could rewrite history.

“A beautifully rendered portrait of a young woman finding her courage and her voice.”—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author

Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who’s just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina—the tobacco capital of the South—where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt’s glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco executives.

But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn’t quite the carefree paradise that it seems. A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems, and although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.

Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn’t know who she can trust—and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.

Shedding light on the hidden history of women’s activism during the post-war period, at its heart, The Tobacco Wives is a deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth.

My thoughts 🤔
Peeking into the lives of southern women of the 1940s.

I loved the characters and the sense of place was incredible. I felt like I was right there at a dress fitting or walking through the tobacco fields and could feel the dust on me.

It’s interesting to see how big companies manipulate information for the sake of advertising. It’s crazy to think the ads telling expectant women to smoke because it was healthy and safe.

I loved this historical fiction novel, highly recommend it!

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