"The most important stories are the ones we tell to - and about - ourselves. And her story could no longer be one of weakness and wishing, of deference and denial. If she desired a different ending, she would have to act...she would do what she needed to do.

She would save her own damn self."

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I am so grateful to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this outstanding new book in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Moonshine Women explores the lives of the aptly named Strong sisters: three siblings eking out a hardscrabble existence in the rural Ozarks region of Missouri. Eldest sister Rebecca is hardworking and stoic, happy to tend the land and be surrounded by nature. Middle sister Elsie is beautiful and kind but yearns for a life beyond the confines of the family farm. Youngest sister Jace, better known as "Shine", is a redheaded spitfire who has an untamed spirit and love of adventure.

When their mother dies tragically, the Strong sisters find themselves struggling to hold their family together. Along with their father and grandmother, the broken family must find a way to subsist in the difficult years after the end of the Great War. With crop prices plummeting and an uncertain future, the Strongs turn to the only certain way to earn a living: using their unsold corn and barley crops to craft barrels of homemade moonshine to sell on the black market.

The descriptive prose in this novel is so striking. Author Michelle Collins Anderson not only brings the characters to life but puts the reader in their world, with vivid depictions of the pine forest of the Missouri Ozarks and the big city doings of lawless Hot Springs, Arkansas. Weaving together real historic events and prominent figures of the 1920s with the saga of the Sisters Strong, she tells a tale that is full of adventure, heartache, vengeance and redemption. I was rooting for the sisters from start to finish and felt fully invested in their stories and immersed in every aspect of their lives.

A remarkable work of historical fiction with a memorable cast of strong women, shady men and a host of larger than life characters pulled from the pages of history, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a great story. 4.5 stars

This story is centered around a family living in the Ozark mountains who happen to make their living by selling moonshine. The family of sisters have a strong bond which is a good thing because they are challenged by prohibition officers, death, injuries and some romance thrown in for good measure.

This was an enjoyable read with a bit of history thrown in and I highly recommend this book.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

The Moonshine Women is one of those beautifully written novels that totally immerses you in a different time and place. In this case, it’s Prohibition-era Missouri. Think deep woods, women with grit and heart, and a story full of hardship and love. The Strong sisters are the kind of characters you don’t forget. I loved how each of them brought something unique to the story, but together they were this unstoppable force. After tragedy hits, watching them step up and take over the moonshine business is sisterhood at its realest. Michelle Collins Anderson’s writing is vivid and poetic, and I loved the character’s hunger for more than what life handed them.