The setting is the 1940’s in post war North Carolina, with the role of women changing as they filled the roles of the men overseas. Maddie is a young woman, dropped off by her mother to spend the summer with her Aunt Etta, a seamstress who worked on the clothing of the tobacco wives. The tobacco wives were the wives of the men involved in the tobacco industry. When Maddie uncovers a serious secret, everything changes for Maddie and the way she looks at the world. Well written both as women’s fiction and historical fiction, and recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The Tobacco Wives was a wonderful surprise not at all what I expected. The books follows 15 year old Maddie Sykes who's father has just been killed during World War II. Maddie's mom wants to start a new life and drops Maddie off with her late husband's Aunt Etta unexpectedly one morning without any indication of when she will be coming back. Aunt Etta is the seamstress of the elite Tobacco Wives in Bright Leaf, North Carolina and Maddie has been learning from her during previous visits. When Aunt Etta becomes unexpectedly ill before the gala event of the year all the evening dress creations fall on Maddie. One of the Tobacco Wives, Mitzy Winston takes Maddie under her wing and has her move in with her family and sets up a custom seamstress studio for her. Maddie learns a secret when she opens a letter that affects the livelihood if everyone in Bright Leaf. It's a fantastic book; I finished it in one day!

What an enjoyable read! Enlightening too. The author had me right in 1940's tobacco country with her vivid details to create a real sense of place. This is an author I will be sure to follow and can't wait to read her future works.

The world we live in is different now than the world of yesterday or the day before, with new knowledge and awareness gaining everyday making it sometimes mystifying when we learn what used to be. I have talked to women before who said that years ago everyone smoked in hospitals , doctors and nurses included, on the hospital floor units and in the doctor offices — that they even smoked while pregnant. They said how no one knew the ill effects and all the celebrities were smoking in the movies and on the ads. In today’s world it is hard to imagine this, because we are on the other side of history aware of the dangers of cigarette smoking as well as the big tobacco companies role in knowingly deceiving people about those effects in an outright concealment scandal.

Adele Myers’ new novel THE TOBACCO WIVES takes us back into that world where doctors prescribe cigarettes to help calm women and get their figures back after pregnancy while babies are lined up in incubators from premature births. In Bright Leaf, North Carolina, tobacco is everything to everyone — the town runs on tobacco providing jobs for the working men and women and wealth to the tobacco company men like Mr. Winston. These yellow tobacco leaves are the pride and backbone of the town but behind closed factory and barn doors working conditions are dangerously unsafe and harmful.

A teenage girl Maddie, who is going through her own family crisis after losing a father during the War and a mother to the hunt for a new wealthy husband for support , finds herself with her talented town seamstress Aunt in Bright Leaf for the summer. When Maddie stumbles upon correspondence revealing the horrors of what cigarette smoking can actually do, will she be able to expose the doctors and tobacco company chiefs’ schemes? And if all is revealed, what other secrets and consequences are at risk of unfurling if she does? Will the town be able to flourish and its residents still have their livelihood if the tower of Bright Leaf Tobacco crumbles and falls?

The author, utilizing her own family’s past connections to the North Carolina tobacco industry, is able to reveal through firsthand knowledge what it was like to live and work in tobacco country in its heyday. She also is able to touch on the ever present struggle of women to have more rights and their voices heard at home, in the workplace, and in the world. Myers dives into the War years of the ‘40s where women are helping on the homefront working in factories and production facilities while the men are away, but who stand to lose this new thriving independence outside of the home after these soldiers return.

What a historical fiction debut Adele Myers has woven for the readers, and the endorsements have come rolling in from some of my favorite brilliant historical fiction creators - Lisa Wingate, Fiona Davis, Kristin Harmel, and Patti Callahan Henry - and now I add my name to the endorsement list for this gem of a book!

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

One of my most favorite recent reads. I enjoy historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. The primary character, Maddie, is awoken in the middle of the night by her widowed mother and dropped on the doorstep, unexpectedly of her great Aunt Etta Etta, with whom Maddie has an established relationship, welcomes her, despite it being one of the busiest seasons for the established dress maker.

When her aunt is suddenly hospitalized, Maddie assumes the role of lead dressmaker. She partners with a local tailor, Anthony to ensure the ladies are all prepared for the annual summer event. Over the course of time, Maddie innocently learns of the health hazards related to cigarette smoking. Torn, as cigarettes and tobacco are the primary sources of revenue for the town and its residents, Maddie must determine what she does with the information.

A wonderful look into the power of women finding their voice in the South. Tobacco is big money after Ww2 and women are encouraged to smoke. Suddenly, illness abounds and the wisdom of one strong women brings down the catastrophic dealings. Loved the Southern voice.

thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book. This is an excellent story that tells the tale of a young girl who becomes a seamstress for the wives of the tobacco executives in Bright Leaf. Maddi is taken in by one of the wives and grows to like the world of the wealthy. This leads her to stumble upon some damning information about smoking and pregnancy that could take the industry and the town down. She struggles with the information and how to handle it. The story was well researched and the struggles of Maddi and the women of the time is well told. The ending seemed a bit rushed, but the story is still a must read. The author notes were very interesting too.

I picked up The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers for my bookclub last month and it was a polarizing one for the group…

I found it to be traditional historical fiction that leaned towards YA in the writing style and subject matter. The main character, Maddie, is 15 years old and the events of the novel are seen through that context.

Maddie sews dresses for the tobacco industry’s elite in Bright Leaf, North Carolina and although the main purpose of the book is to show how corrupt and deceptive the tobacco industry is, it still very much intentionally glamorizes the old south wealth that came with it all. I would have rather seen the tobacco wives from a Southern Gothic lens that’s atmospheric, but shows the grotesque nature underlying everything and this book is *so far* from that. The tone of Kathryn Stockett’s The Help comes to mind-“racism is bad, but look how pretty and perfect everything is despite it all”.

Thank you to William Morrow for gifting me an eARC of this book via NetGalley. This story was told in a simple, straightforward way with a heavy-handed moral message, so it felt like it would be better labeled as YA historical fiction than something written for adults.

I was hooked from the very beginning and read in one day. Interesting look at the tobacco industry in the 1940’s. Characters and story were well developed.

Maddie is a dressmaker for some of the wealthiest, most influential women in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. But when Maddie starts to recognize some concerning health patterns among her clients, she wonders if big tobacco, the business her town relies on, could be to blame.

This is a totally fascinating time and setting for a book! I really enjoyed getting a glimpse at women's lives in 1940s big tobacco — wealthy wives of tobacco executives, women working in factories while the men are at war, and more. I didn't totally connect with the protagonist character, but there were plenty of historical details and high stakes to keep my interest. Definitely a good read for historical fiction fans!

I usually think about what I want to say about a book as I’m reading. I develop an opinion and make some mental notes of things I might want to mention.

It wasn’t until the final page of The Tobacco Wives that I knew what I wanted to say, and Adele Myers @adelejam says it so perfectly in her own words: “But I came to realize that none of us leaves life unscathed. Each of us experiences loss, grief, disappointment. In fact, sometimes our most painful moments and trying times turn out to be the opportunities that bring us more fully to ourselves. That life is best lived when you open yourself up to it, all of it.”

How true and beautiful is that?

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review!

Link to 3/7/2022 Instagram post:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CazqY1GLZHw/

This novel is a fascinating look at the influence tobacco had over the south after the second world war, as well as the influence the wives had over their husband’s business decisions. While the story of big tobacco isn’t new, the presentation was fresh and interesting.

Maddie Sykes arrives in Bright Leaf, NC in the 1940s as a 15 year old girl who has lost her father in the war and she is left at her aunts as her mother wants to find a new man but does not need a child hanging around.

Aunt Etta is the seamstress to all of the wives of the tobacco executives and she makes dresses several times a year for different social events. After Aunt Etta falls ill, Maddie not only has to take on the entire operation, she also must move in with one of the wives and her husband who is the head of the tobacco operations. While in their home, Maddie finds out some very damaging information but does not know who she can trust to share it with.

This debut is a very well written story of growing up, secrets, female friendship and decisions that will shape your entire life!! Anxiously awaiting the next book by Adele Myers!!!

Maddie comes to live with her aunt in North Carolina, which is home to the big tobacco companies. Her aunt has a successful sewing business and Maddie helps her. Most of her aunts clients are the wives of the tobacco company executives and the women who work in the factories. Maddie becomes friends with the wives and workers, but becomes concerned about the effects tobacco has on these women’s health. This was a very interesting story and I enjoyed reading this book. Thanks to Netgalley for my arc.

I loved this book! It was fascinating to learn about the beginnings of Big Tobacco. It made me think of my own late grandma, and how she started smoking early. This book covered adult topics, but since the main character was a teen it felt somewhat YA to me as many of her problems/obstacles were from her POV. Overall, highly recommend to historical fiction fans!

This was an easy and interesting read set in 1946 in North Carolina. It is set in the fiction town of Bright Leaf, successful due to it central role in tobacco. I grew up in North Carolina, so I could relate to a lot of the references to growth from the tobacco companies. It centers around a young seamstress, Maggie, and her work making dresses for wealthy wives of the tobacco companies. It also deals with women in the workforce back then and the heath issues of tobacco. I felt like the pace of the book was good until the rushed ending. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting to read a book set during World War II but wasn't actually about the war itself.

The book is set in North Carolina and is about the tobacco industry and the women who are credited with keeping it running during the war. At times it was frustrating knowing what we know now about the negative effects of tobacco, but what our characters during the story were just finding out. This is a story about powerful women and the choices they make. Some good, and some bad. The main character Maddie really grew on me as the story progressed. I could have done without the epilogue though.

The premise of this novel had so much potential but the writing and the character dialogue reminded me of my stories written in 8th grade creative writing it was so juvenile. There were many irrelevant characters with cheesy and unrealistic conversations as the story failed to delve deep into the issues brought forth (dangers of tobacco, working conditions in the factories, unionization, etc.) Instead, it casually mentioned a multitude of issues with no resolution - women working rights, pregnancy and smoking, child abandonment, measles outbreaks to name a few. Maddie, the main character, was pretty outspoken as a 15 year old talking to tobacco executives which I found over-the-top and unrealistic.