This was a quiet story, not a lot happens but it's still manages to move you to sympathy for the main character, and it was inspired by a real event in the author's family. Leah lives with her father, a lumberjack, in a small house in North Carolina, they live a simple life, getting by on what her father earns, just barely. Her neighbours own the house they live in and Leah is friends with Jesse, the son of the owner. Leah's father is killed in an accident and Leah is abruptly taken to live with another family, a long distance from where she lived. At first she thinks she'll be a friend to the children, two daughters and a son, she quickly finds out that it is expected that she will be a helpmate, someone who cooks, cleans, and does whatever else is required, including hairdressing if required. The Mrs of the house, Mrs Griffin, is a demanding person, nothing that Leah does is right but she keeps putting Leah in situations where she can't help but fail, asking her to serve tea to friends when Leah has no idea how to properly serve tea and snacks. This was a good book and the ending was uplifting, I would recommend. Thanks to #Netgalley and #Sourcebooks for the ARC.

Master storyteller Meagan Church will blow you away with her highly impressive emotional, and compelling debut, THE LAST CAROLINA GIRL —a young girl caught in a tale of dark family secrets and Eugenics—forced to fight for survival, herself, her body, and her future. Southern fiction at its finest!

I loved this book!

At the heart of this novel is a shattering loss that irrevocably changes the lives of many young women. The author expertly unveils the truths and lies that drive this gripping, powerful tale of a dark part of our history.

Set in 1935 in Holden Beach, NC, we meet Leah Payne (age fourteen years old) who lives with her lumberjack father, Harley Payne—he calls her Mouse. She is a smart, vibrant, carefree teen who loves life. Her mom died when she was born, and she loves her dad, a wise man.

She loves living on the coastal shores of NC, surrounded by nature. They are happy in a little shack on Mr. Barna's property and she is dear friends with his son Jesse and their maid, Tulla.

Then a tragedy, her dad is killed in a logging accident. Everything she knows is being taken away from her—her home, her father, and her friends.

She is sent to live with a foster family in Matthews, NC (Mecklenburg County, near Charlotte, NC). She thinks if she is good and works hard, they will like her and be better than living in a group home.

She is supposed to be a helpmate. However, the Griffin family treats her like their slave, especially Mrs. Griffin. She is not a part of this family in any way.

She is mistreated by the woman, embarrassing her in front of everyone. She is a smart girl and this woman is very manipulative.

Mr. Griffin, the daughters, and the son Michael Henry, Eva Jane, and Mary Ann (so sweet) seem to be afraid of their mom. They are nice to Leah. The mom tries to be well-to-do and put on appearances in front of her friends and entertains, but there is something off about her. She is evil, full of hatred and jealousy.

No matter how hard Leah works cooking, cleaning, and serving her master's friends, nothing she does is good enough. She does not even allow her to attend school, so she is stuck in a small bedroom like a closet and treated like a slave.

Mrs. Griffin has a manipulative plan in mind. She goes behind her back with a local Dr. Moses, heading up the Eugenics and sterilization program for young women in North Carolina.

Leah is distraught when she learns what happened to her without her knowledge or consent. Her letters are kept from her, and she cannot communicate with Jesse.

And then, the final family secret is revealed, which is a shocker. Will Leah escape this horrible family and return to the beach and the people she loves? How can anyone ever compensate for the damage to a vibrant young woman.? Forgiveness and forgetting are two different things.

WOW! A haunting tale of how the actions of government agencies ruined the innocent lives of women and their future. A searing and ultimately hopeful novel about the injustices and the importance of learning from history.

Transporting, heartfelt, and atmospheric.

Beautifully rendered, a powerful and unforgettable novel that will linger long after you finish reading. With well-developed characters, I enjoyed the conclusion of Holden Beach, 2006, brimming with hope after tragedy.

What a resilient, strong, and powerful young woman full of heart and love. A spellbinding coming-of-age tale of loss, hope, and perseverance. Leah will steal your heart with strength and courage, gripping you from page one to the end.

Susan Bennett, the audiobook narrator, is utterly captivating, delivering an award-winning performance. You will want to listen more than once. Highly recommend the audiobook!

One of my "TOP Books of 2023" and a contender for debut of the year! As a North Carolina native, I adore novels set in NC with its idyllic coastal and mountain areas—and some of the "best authors" reside in the famous Tarheel state. The author has quickly been added to my favorite author list.

The writing is stunning, and I was utterly captivated by the lush descriptions and the author's lyrical prose. A heart-wrenching page-turner, I read in two sittings. I loved Leah/Jesse. You will be outraged at the devastation of these young women. Thank you for giving these women a voice for often a forgotten untold part of our history.

Meticulously researched, it is heartbreaking the number of useless sterilizations completed - 7,000 in NC and in Mecklenburg county 485, which is 3 times of any other NC county. Very sad when a love of the sea is a reason to question one's sanity.

Inspired by the author's family history, an ideal book club pick. I thoroughly enjoyed the Conversation with the Author and the Reading Group Guide (included). A wealth of information is included.

THE LAST CAROLINA GIRL is perfect for fans of Diane Chamberlain's Necessary Lies, Dolen Perkins-Valdez's Take My Hand(two favorites), Where the Crawdads Sing, and The Girls in the Stilt House.

Thanks to #SourcebooksLandmark #RecordedBooks and #Netgalley for a gifted ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. Also pre-ordered the hardcover copy.

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Meagan where we go behind the scenes of the book and this talented author, on pub date, March 28, 2023.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: March 28, 2023
My Rating: 5 STARS ++
March 2023 Must-Read Books
Top Books of 2023

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: March 28, 2023

Whew, this was heavy. A historical fiction based off the real life of the author’s aunt, this slow burn read punches you in the gut toward the end. A poor girl loses both her parents at a young age and is sent to be a housemaid with a family hours from where she grew up. She’s treated awfully, but you don’t know the extent of it until the apex of the horror she faces. The topic of eugenics in this book made my skin crawl…and the authors notes will only make it worse, it was difficult to recover after finishing this one.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥
𝐁𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟑.𝟐𝟖.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝒞𝑜𝓂𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒮𝑜𝑜𝓃!

Thank you [partner] @bookmarked for this gifted ebook.

This debut is southern fiction, family drama, and historical fiction all wrapped up into a heartbreaking but poignant story.

Leah’s mother died in childbirth, yet she loves her father and their little shack on the Barna family’s rural property in North Carolina. Leah's closest friends are Mr. Barna’s son Jesse and their maid Tullah.

At age 14, Leah’s father is killed in a logging accident. Leah is sent away to the Griffin family: forced to leave the Barna family and the only home she has ever known. The Griffins are a well-to-do family who treat Leah as a servant. Mrs. Griffin is especially cruel to Leah, no matter how hard she tries to do all that is asked of her.

When Mrs. Griffin discovers that Leah suffers from “spells,” she sees it as an opportunity to seek her secret revenge on poor Leah, altering Leah’s body and life forever.

Set in the 1930s South, this starts at an unhurried pace, describing the naivete and delight of growing up with nature and simple things surrounding you. But then it quickly escalates into a heartwrenching read as the story delves into family secrets, abuse and the atrocity of eugenics.

**Don’t skip the Author’s Notes!

𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘔𝘦𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵.

I have a love-hate relationship with historical fiction, but this one caught my attention, and I have to say I love the emotional roller coaster.

Our courageous main character is being raised by hard-working, single father. He works long hours to provide for the family, but they still do not have any extra. Her father teaches her to be her in person, and to be thankful for what they have.

The story takes place in the time when it is not proper for a girl to sweat. When the only appropriate thing that little girls have to look forward to is how many children they will have.

When Leah goes to live with her foster family, she has determined to show them that she belongs. While the relationship is not what she had hoped for, she works hard to make the best of it. She develops a friendship with Mary Ann, who is probably the smartest, sweetest little girl, and I absolutely loved her.

I highly recommend this book to everyone even if historical fiction is not normally the genre you would reach for. It’s a short book that completely pulls you in.

Thank you to Netgalley, Publisher Sourcebooks Landmark and author, Meagan church for the advanced readers copy.

Leah and her father live a simple life along the Carolina coast. When her father dies, Leah is torn from her home and sent across the state to live with strangers. Instead of welcoming her into the family, she is treated as a maid.

This book was ok. It moved very slow and very little seemed to happen with the plot. The characters were well developed and multi dimensional. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars.

I loved everything about this book. The author put so much heart and research into this story as it was inspired by her own family history. Seeing the world through a young girl’s eyes was a difficult sight to grasp at times. When young Leah finds herself without her parents, she is forced to live by rules that no child should have to face. All Leah wants is to go “home” where she was content. Learning about the prominence eugenics had in the US and the longevity of this practice is horrifying.

For fans of WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING, this book is for contemporary fiction lovers everywhere. A bit of a slow start, but it gets interesting early enough that it hooked me the rest of the way through. I really liked Leah, her inner monologue is age-appropriate and her words made me feel something. THE LAST CAROLINA GIRL is one of those stories that makes you think the worst is about to happen around every corner, but there are silver linings that give you hope and that truly makes it a great story. The author's note includes an explanation of the research that went into the book and it just shows the reader how much the author cares. As a reader, I appreciate that!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark for inviting me to read this debut! 3.5 stars.

This book was not really what I expected. With all the tragedy that Leah faces - the death of her mother at birth, the loss of her father and then moving away from everything she has known to be with a foster family is heartbreaking.

I loved the way the author set the scene in North Carolina and did a fantastic job of describing it and bringing it to life. I enjoyed reading of Leah's strength, courage and perseverance through her hardships. I thought her connection to Jesse was heartfelt and real.

The author brought a real issue into this fictional tale and taught me about something that I didn't know a whole lot about. While I had heard of eugenics, I did not fully understand it or the impact that it had in the US.

This was a quick read for me but I felt like I wanted more from the story. The ending felt a bit abrupt for me. This could be seen as a positive as I felt connected to Leah as a character and wanted more from her story.

I liked it, but thought the ending was rushed. It was written well enough that I could lose myself in the time period when I read bigger sections. I think the Crawdads comparison is fair. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Wow, what a story. This book will take you on such an emotional roller coaster, one you have never been on before… It is well researched, well written and you fall in love with Leah from page one.
I felt so many emotions while reading this book and it is when you’ll definitely not want to miss

A good but difficult story to read, “The Last Carolina Girl” is a solid debut from Meagan Church. Leah’s story is a devastating one in a dark chapter of America’s history and I am glad light is being shone on it. For setting alone, this book has been and will be compared to “Where the Crawdads Sing.” And while WTCS more effortlessly weaves the nature elements into the story of the orphan girl, TLCG has a heroine your heart bleeds for *and* a story not only worth telling but also worth recommending. So while the tale is more simply told, don’t neglect reading “The Last Carolina Girl”– it is good, true, and important.

A brilliant historical fiction which is full of depth and emotions.
Set in the 1930s with some brilliant characters, this book just pulls you in and doesn't let you go!
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history.

Wow, what a breath of fresh air! Thank you Meagan Church for writing a compelling, serious, thoughtful, engaging story...without feeling the need to add in the kind of content that would stop me from giving this book to a mature teen. I loved the rich North Carolina setting and each of the characters captured my heart in a different way. This story shines light on a lesser known period of American history and I appreciated learning as I read. I would highly recommend this book about family, home, growing up and finding a place to belong.

Thank you to Sourcebooks and NetGalley for the eARC copy of this book!

Leah has been torn from the only life she has ever known. When her father died she was forced to move to another town and live with another family. She knew she wasn’t welcome but she had no choice. Then something happens and Leah must do what she has to do for her sanity and her future.

Oh wow! What an amazing tale of fortitude, trauma and strength! This story will tear your heart out one minute and have you throwing the book across the room in frustration at Leah’s plight. Leah is a child I will not soon forget.

I could not put this book down. This story brings so many emotions to the reader. Talk about a book which will give you all the feels. There are so many adults in this book which failed Leah. But Leah never gave up. She definitely overcame and thrived

Need an emotional book…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Last Carolina Girl is an intense read to say the least. The subject matter here is heartbreaking.

The writing here is also somehow sweet. This book was not at all what I expected (in the best way).

Eugenics is not a topic I know much about but it’s one I think is important. I’ve never read a novel about this topic before. I’m so very glad I did.

The author here managed to weave a devastating yet heartwarming tale mixed with many subplots and a great MC in Leah.

Leah will steal your heart…and then break it, and put it back together still cracked.

I loved this book. ♥️

Pub date: 2/28/23
Genre: coming of age, historical fiction
Quick summary: In 1935 North Carolina, Leah's life is turned upside down by the death of her father. When she's forced to become a housemaid, she'll come face to face with the ugliness of the eugenics movement.

This book is quiet but powerful. I loved getting to know Leah - the descriptions of her wild and free childhood were lyrical and lovely. Author Meagan Church did a great job setting a sense of place in Holden Beach, and Leah and her father's relationship was a highlight. When Leah moved inland to Mecklenburg County, she was stuck in a terrible situation as a "helpmate" - even though she was still a child. It was hard to read about the events that happened to her, but I admired her inner strength.

If you enjoy character-driven historical fiction, give this one a try! Fans of Diane Chamberlain's NECESSARY LIES and Dolen Perkins-Valdez's TAKE MY HAND will find similar themes explored here. Be sure to read Church's author's note - this book is inspired by her great-aunt's life, and she does a wonderful job linking it to reproductive justice in the past and present.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my e-ARC and Recorded Books for my ALC in exchange for an honest review.

𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘣𝘺𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘐 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵. 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘻𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶. ’𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐’𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘸𝘪𝘮 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐’𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚 🎭: southern historical fiction
𝙋𝙖𝙘𝙚 🏃🏼‍♀️: moderate/fast
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: 🚫
𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 🖤: Where the Crawdads Sing
𝙏𝙒 ⚠️: brief mention of eugenics, parental abuse

This is a beautiful story of southern historical fiction. It very much reminded me of Where the Crawdads Sing, which I adored.

Leah is no stranger to loss. Her mother passed away during childbirth, and she lives in a one room cabin with her father, until a terrible logging accident takes him from her. Left an orphan, Leah is sent to live with a foster family hundreds of miles away. Leah is forced to deal with the shame of her background and having to fight to be seen as equal and worthy of love.

The author provides a profound look into the landscape of 1930s in the south, where race and class define your place in the world. Leah is a simple girl of meager means. This story shows what happens to the kids who fall through the cracks.

This is a story of found family, what it truly means to have a home, love, fear, and discovering where you belong.

The Last Carolina Girl is a moving story of a young girl, Leah, living with her beloved father near Holden Beach, NC. They are quite poor and their home is a one-room shack, but they are very happy. Leah has a dream of living in a house right on the water in Holden Beach, which her teacher says is “not realistic.” She also has what she calls “flashes,” which are short periods of time when she freezes almost like a statue before coming back to reality. But she lives a beautiful life with her father and cherished friends. When tragedy suddenly strikes, she finds herself serving a coldhearted family as a “helpmate,” or basically a maid.

This is a well-written novel, which at the core of it exposes the way the poor were exploited and used by the rich back in the early 20th Century. The rich have always had power, but back then they could pretty much do whatever they wanted, body and soul, to a person. As Leah says, “…the ghosts of the real world were scarier than the imagined ones.” Based on a true story from within the author’s own family, this novel will shock, anger, and break the heart. But the beautiful imagery of the North Carolina coast and the love of true family also shines through.

I read both the ebook and audiobook versions. The audiobook is narrated by Susan Bennett, who does a great job. The Southern accents are true to the area and not overdone. The emotion of the book is well conveyed.

I received a free ebook from Sourcebooks and a free audiobook from RB Media. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

My rating is 4.5 stars, rounded to 5 on sites with no half-star option.

The Last Carolina Girl will be released on March 28, 2023.

I always love books set in the marshes of the south and I was a huge fan of Where the Crawdads Sing so I was very excited to read this novel after reading about the comparison.


Overall, I did like The Last Carolina Girl and I appreciate the heartbreak and history behind it. I think anyone who loves southern historical fiction will enjoy this book!