“The Last Carolina Girl” by Meagan Church is an unforgettable historical fiction novel that grips the heart. Set against the backdrop of a recently formed state eugenics board in 1935, it follows Leah Payne, a spirited Carolina girl whose life takes a tragic turn. Separated from her home and thrust into a family with a terrible secret, Leah fights for her future in a world that doesn’t always value her wild spirit. This powerful debut, reminiscent of “Where the Crawdads Sing” and “The Girls in the Stilt House,” explores forgotten history, autonomy, and the places we ultimately call home.

The story of an orphaned girl in 1935 North Carolina. It’s giving Where the Crawdads Sing meets Harry Potter living with the Dursleys. I loved this book so much — partly because I’m from NC and partly because I’m horrified and amazed at how far eugenics went in the US, and we don’t ever really talk about it. This story was beautiful. I loved the author’s writing style, and the characters felt so lifelike. That being said, I wish there was MORE. The storyline felt surface level, and there could have been a bigger plot here. I needed more emotion and reckoning from all characters. The ending fell short and seemed rushed. I also would have loved if there was an author’s note at the end to discuss the eugenics movement in the US and how the author came about writing this story. I want more!

Audiobook notes: The narrator has a fantastic southern accent, but she says Appalachia wrong. 🙄 Her pauses seem a little long, so I listened to it on 1.85x speed. Her different character voices are amazing. I would def listen to more of her narrated books.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and RB Media for my copy of The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church Narrated by Susan Bennett in exchange for an honest review. It published March 28, 2023.
First off, I thought the narration was very well-done! The accents and non-accents were switched back and forth skillfully.
I thought this story was similar to Where the Crawdads Sing, except much better. It was so interesting and fast-paced. I did not want to stop listening to this one!

I read the Last Carolina Girl a few months ago and loved it! I decided to listen to it as well. The narrator was excellent!

I went into this one without reading the synopsis and I think that this was a great choice for me.

Short synopsis:
For fourteen-year-old Leah Payne, life in her beloved coastal Carolina town is as simple as it is free.

Devoted to her lumberjack father and running through the wilds where the forest meets the shore, Leah's country life is as natural as the Loblolly pines that rise to greet the Southern sky.

When an accident takes her father's life, Leah is wrenched from her small communitv and cast into a family of strangers with a terrible secret.

Thoughts:
💕 A beautifully written story that kept me engaged the whole time. I could not stop listening to this one.

💕 Loved Leah and I was so invested in her journey. You will root for her the whole time.

💕 A powerful, heartbreaking story that will pull on all of your heartstrings.

💕 I cannot stop recommending this one.

Fantastic job by Susan Bennett with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this audiobook, the beginning reminded me a bit of Where The Crawdads Sing. Leah goes through a lot after her father passes away, it is heartbreaking. Without giving anything away, I did like the ending.

I wanted to like this more. It started off very interesting, and the author writes really beautifully. Definitely a lot of similar writing to Where the Crawdads Sing. Unfortunately, it took a long time to get to the interesting part of the plot. By the time it reached the climax, there was little left to the book and it felt rushed. I wish the pacing was a bit better, otherwise I enjoyed everything else about the story.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church, narrated by Susan Bennett.
The Last Carolina Girl is a story of coming to age when life is no longer in your control. Church creates a story that is both sad and promising. The story of a young girl forced into a life she doesn't want. Bennett's voice brings the audio version to life, making you feel as though you are walking in the Carolina's alongside Leah.

Set in the 1930’s, teenage Leah lives with her lumberjack father on the coast of South Carolina. Leah loves the sea and the beach and it’s her dream to have a house near the water when she grows up, Sadly, her father is killed in a logging accident and there is no family to care for her. She’s sent to live with a foster family, far from everything she knows and loves. Her foster family treats her as their live-in maid. It’s far from what she imagined her new family would be, Her new foster mom is cruel, and treats Leah with disdain. She’s so unhappy and wonders what she did wrong to be sent to live with a family that doesn’t really want her. It seems they just want her as their personal slave. People call her dim witted and decide that she’s not smart enough to go to school to get an education. The subject of eugenics comes up from a friend of the family, who is a doctor. Sadly, Leah is tricked into agreeing to surgery that changes her life completely.

Although this was an emotional read, it was a subject I didn’t previously know a lot about. The fact that people that were considered “less than” were not given the right to make decisions about their reproductive health, is absolutely tragic! This is a must read for anyone who believes in human rights and loves a coming of age story that’s full of emotion.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review, Susan Bennett was an excellent narrator! Many thanks to Recorded Books and Netgalley.

𝘗𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭!

What a story, my emotions are all over the place after reading it. A thought-provoking, mesmerizing story about family, loss, first love and the horrors of eugenics. This story will stay with me for a long time. Loved it.

Thank you @recordedbooks and @netgalley for this gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹 released March 28, 2023.

This is being compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I don't think is fair, because in my opinion, it's a much better book. I spent years ashamed of growing up in the American South, but lately, I find myself reminiscing for slower days and hot summer nights. There are many things I don't miss, such as the politics and ever present megachurches, but I'll take a win where I can.

I listened to this one on audio. I'm not familiar with the drawling Carolina accent, but another reviewer said it was spot on. I'll have to take their word for it. Like my friend Tina says, go into this one blind. The blurb gives a little bit away, but trust that I am horrified by the state of things in 1935. Not that they appear much better today. We must look to our past to make better choices for our future.

Teen Leah lives a poor but happy existence in coastal Carolina, until one day her father passes away. She wishes to remain in her own home, but obviously the government doesn't allow this. She is shipped off to a foster family and forced into a helpmate role, which is basically slave/indentured work. She is not allowed to go to school.

Shit hits the fan at about 80%. I won't say I was terribly surprised, as we have seen many twists like this before. However, this is not a thriller, but a coming of age story for a girl deemed dimwitted by people that shouldn't be judging.

Certainly not for everyone, but definitely a gripping story. I'm glad I read it in the heat of summer. It really sets the mood.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.

Thank you for a copy of this audiobook! I really enjoyed this story and found myself often comparing it to Where the Crawdads Sing. It was both heartbreaking and hopeful and delved into several very relevant topics. I admired Leah’s strength and have thought about her often since finishing this novel.

This was a heartbreaking coming of age novel set in the 1930s. The story is about Leah a 14 year old girl who is so strong of spirit it’s inspiring! She goes through so much in her life ( I can’t tell you any of it or it will spoil the book) but she never forgets who she is and the future she wants- she’s a fighter! I wish I could just wrap her in a hug and take care of her! I highly recommend if you like stories like ‘where the crawdads sing and four winds and the great alone pick up this one! 5 heartbreaking stars!
Thank you for netgalley for providing me with this advanced reader copy, all thoughts and opinions and FEELINGS are my own.

Your heart will weep for Leah and all she must endure. With the loss of her parents and everything she cares about and that provides a sense of comfort being ripped away will have you shedding a few tears. There are some twists and turns that keep you invested in the story. And there is a shocking revelation toward the end. Though Leah has a medical condition and is grossly mistreated and judged unfairly, you will find yourself cheering her on. The story is based on the author’s own family. In the end, the vision of the love of what makes a real family will penetrate the anger and shock you experience as you absorb this tale of the Carolina girl.

Thank you to NetGalley and Source Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

Narrated by Susan Bennett
Published: 03/28/23

Where does Meagan Church go from here? Her debut novel is why historical fiction is so valuable. Beautifully written story told candidly from the heart and eyes of a 14-year-old girl who dared to dream. Death and betrayal of those around her from neighbors and the the fine Church people to government policies, strangers, more outstanding Church people and doctors. I cried more than I didn't during this book. I'm really pleased that Susan Bennett was the narrator, I'm not sure emotionally I could have finished.

During the late 1930s in the good ol USA child abuse rampant in wealthy, church going homes. Almost 100 years later and situations have not changed. Shameful.

The author picked a little known piece of American History and struck a nerve in me. If she only has one book in her, she can hold her head high and proud. This was long overdue, not easy, and necessary.

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media, Recorded Books for accepting my request to read and review The Last Carolina Girl.

Leah Payne lives a life on the North Carolina coast with her father, a logger who works for one of the more well-to-do families in town. She dreams of having more and being more, but when her father is killed in a winter accident she is left orphaned and at the mercy of the family who takes her in. She is treated as a helpmate, a servant, rather than a part of the family and finds her freedom is terribly limited. Will she be able to find her way in her new life or will she remain a horribly treated servant? This book was heartbreaking on so many levels and perfect for anyone who loved Where the Crawdads Sing.

In 1935, Leah’s lumberjack father died during a logging accident—her mother passed away when Leah was born. Suddenly without parents and homeless, Leah is forced to leave the wild yet peaceful coastal Carolina town to live with strangers in the city - the Griffins, a wealthy family with a terrible secret. Here, at the age of 14, she’s forced to be a helpmate instead of a member of the family. But as secrets come to light, Leah must fight for her own future.

I enjoyed Leah’s coming-of-age story. Her love for nature is her one constant as she loses everything: her family, her home, her friends, her pet, her education. Yet, her spirit will not break. Leah constantly strives to be part of her new surroundings even though she deeply longs for home: the ocean. I appreciate the historical thread of eugenics woven into the last part of the story, but I wish eugenics history played a more prominent role. Also, I would have loved Leah’s journey even more if the book was longer, experiencing more of Leah’s perseverance rather than simply an epilogue as a sneak peek into Leah’s future.

Meagan Church is a talented writer. Leah is a well-developed character, and the vivid setting descriptions fill my imagination. Don’t miss the author’s note which includes her inspiration, research, and eugenics data. I might even suggest reading it first. I recommend this book, especially to book clubs who enjoy historical fiction, since there’s a wealth of discussion material!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. This book broke my heart. It was a little slow until I became attached to the main character, If you start it, keep going, it's worth it. Leah. If you like character driven stories with underlying secrets then this is a story for you. This a coming of age story. It touched on eugenics. Leah was a brave, strong, and courageous girl. The writing was beautiful. I felt like I was right there with Leah in NC. I loved the way she loved nature and how important it was to the story.
I think the narrator was perfect.

This book was such an intriguing historical fiction. Very emotional and also also a bit sad with tough topics! I wished the very best for the main character, cheering her on!
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity!

Audiobook received for free through NetGalley

A tough read where I felt for the main character and was drawn in. Though but somewhat hopeful at the end.