Most of us are not old enough to remember a time when tobacco was king, cigarettes were smoked by all ages, and doctors recommended that women (even pregnant women) smoke to calm their nerves!

Now imagine you are 15, finding your way in the world after losing your father and getting dumped by your mother, and discovering that powerful men are hiding the truth about the dangers of tobacco use.

Set in the south in 1946, this is the story of Maddie, who is struggling to see what the future might hold when options outside of marriage are few. You won’t want to miss it!

Thank you to author Adele Myers, NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story and our protagonist of Maddie. This takes place as woman are entering the workplace and history is changing in the Tobacco industry. This was a fun and quick historical fiction book that should be read by you if you love historical fiction.

If you love coming-of-age historical fiction or World War II homefront stories, you need to read this. It's a mesmerizing, powerful, and revealing look at how tobacco engulfed every aspect of a small North Carolina town, and the lengths the powers-that-be went to hide its toxicity. Myers brilliantly incorporates fashion details and society events without overburdening the reader with minute details. Maddie is such a loveable, earnest, and endearing character. This is book club GOLD, people!

Librarians/booksellers: Your historical fiction fans will eat this up. So good.

Many thanks to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to Amelia Wood for inviting me to read this book because I loved it!

15 year old Maddie Sykes is getting over the loss of her father when her mother leaves her with her seamstress Aunt Ettta while she goes in search of a new husband. A budding seamstress herself, Maddie is asked by her aunt to assist in making the gowns of the ladies attending the Bright Leaf Tobacco Company gala,in which she does. But the more involved she becomes. the more secrets are uncovered to challenge the company, the treatment of women in the workplace and what tobacco really does to.you . Excellent read.

Souther read very enjoyable. Is amazing to think that Tobacco held a status with out warning or concern. Would recommend

An interesting debut novel from Adele Myers, The Tobacco wives is set in post-WWII North Carolina in its heydays as Tobacco Nation. Entire counties are fully dependent on the Tobacco Industry for their lives and livelihoods while being blissfully ignorant of its harmful side-effects. A very interesting and ever-pertinent subject indeed -big money vs ethical business practices.

15 year old Madeline Sykes, a budding dressmaker is thrust into this precarious situation when her recently widowed mother drops her off in the care of her aunt in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. Maddie is initially awestruck by the seemingly glamorous world of the Tobacco Wives but soon she stumbles on the dark side of things. You have to read the book to figure out what happens next. Giving interesting insights into the burgeoning tobacco industry as also the women's right movements of the time, this is an engrossing tale which deals with important issues in an easy to read manner and kept me hooked till the end.

Thanks to Net Galley, William Morrow and Custom House and The Book Club Girl Book Group for the pleasure of the ARC in exchange for a review.

This novel is set in 1946 North Carolina, when the tobacco industry was booming. Our protagonist is a 15 year old girl, spending the summer with her seamstress aunt, and assisting in her business of making fine dresses and gowns for the Tobacco Wives of the town.

Maddie discovers something shocking and damning about tobacco and struggles with how to handle the information, but it's not until the last 75% of the book that the main conflict really begins. Prior to that, the novel focuses on Maddie's day to day activities handling the seamstress business for her aunt in preparation for the major Summer Gala. It's clear the author knows her stuff when it comes to sewing and making clothing in the terms used. I enjoyed this glimpse into the mid 1940s and the beginnings of the women's rights movement, along with the complications of the health impacts of tobacco use that was previously unknown.

My main concern with this novel however was how much older than 15 Maddie appeared to be in her actions and behaviors, and then the neat little epilogue to wrap it all up, while nice, also felt a little too neat.

That said, I very much enjoyed this book and would recommend others check it out.

Thank you to Book Club Girls and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I love historical fiction so to read one based in the US during a time that isn’t often written about was a breath of fresh air. I loved the way the author wrote but truly wish there were more facts intermingled in the story. I also wish there was more store about the characters current and future personal life. A lot of people like a happy ending but I feel as though this book left out a lot of that. Perhaps felt rushed to finish. Which is sad because there is a very solid foundation to have built off of.

A wonderful historical novel told from a perspective of a teenage seamstress working on the wardrobe of ladies married to the tobacco factory workers and incidentally discovering that the glamor and glitz associated with cigarettes hides a much darker reality.

I enjoyed the book. I loved the details of the scenery, the people, and the clothing. I did feel that Maddie seemed to know more about sewing and things in life than a regular girl her age would, especially with her lack of experience before moving to Bright Leaf.

Thank you Netgalley, William Morrow and Custom House, William Morrow, and Book Club Girls for this arc. I really enjoyed this book once the story really started to take shape, but it took a while! The beginning of the book was good, but I didn't understand where the story was going, so at times I didn't always feel the need to keep reading! I'm glad I did though, because it turned out to be a good story. If the story had moved along faster, so we could learn more about the union building, the protests, and the cover ups I think I would have liked it even more. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

A historical fiction piece about the effect the growing of tobacco and the cigarette industry had on a small town and the people who live and work there.

It tells the story of 15 year old Maddy who is dropped off at her aunts home so her mother can go out and find a man to support her. Maddy has spent summers with her aunt who is the town seamstress and specializes in fancy dresses for the "Tobacco Wives" These are the woman married to prominent men who own or are involved in the local tobacco industry. The novel revolves around Maddy helping design and sew the dresses while she also starts to realize how dangerous the working conditions are both in the field and factory, but also that cigarettes are causing many health issues.

The novel is a light read that tries to tackle too many issues such as unions, tobaccos hold on a NC town and women's rights. Maddy reads more like a twenty something than a 15 year old. While the history was interesting, everything was too lightly touched upon to really feel developed.

4 STARS for THE TOBACCO WIVES by Adele Myers, out everywhere March 1st, 2022.

A southern and post war glimpse into the empire of Big Tobacco...The Tobacco Wives is perfect for fans of Fiona Davis and Lisa Wingate.

Bright Leaf, North Carolina -- the tobacco capital of the South -- is almost an idyllic town of elegance and opulence. The tobacco executives strive to make tobacco a staple in every adults life while the tobacco wives are beautiful socialites and have a reign over society. In 1946, Maddie finds herself in Bright Leaf to stay with her seamstress aunt Etta who makes dresses for the famous Tobacco Wives and her world is changed forever. Maddie learns about herself, corruption, and the power of women.

I grew up in the midst of the smoking kills marketing campaigns and my grandma died of lung cancer due to decades of smoking. This was a fascinating look at the world of Big Tobacco, where there was a lot of glitz and glamour but as history tells us, a lot of darkness behind the effects of tobacco. It was almost eerie reading how carelessly they pushed this harmful product on millions of people, many pregnant women, with no idea about the long term effects of the crop. I really enjoyed the unique time period and subject matter Myers chose for this story. It's a time period that doesn't get much ink compared to WW2, but so much history happened during this time as this book shines a light on. I'm excited for what Adele Myers has in store for us next.

I look forward to sharing this title with our audience and will keep it under consideration for one of our monthly book selections for our book club. Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in both audiobook and digital copy for this fabulous book! I think we've got a hit on our hands here, folks! This was SUCH a refreshing take on the typical World War Two explosion in publishing we've seen over the past couple of years, Covering difficult topics, relatable and engaging characters, and great descriptive settings, I firmly believe readers will gobble this one up.

To be nitpicky, the epilogue was a bit clunky (to the "I'm so happy you started a business here in x, where we are currently standing.' type of exposition), and the last sentence ended the book so abruptly I was left wanting a little stronger conclusion, but the heart of the story is extremely well told.

As I mentioned, I co-read this alongside the audiobook, which was good, but not as good as the book itself. Ultimately, though, I think readers will strongly appreciate both and I fully anticipate this one being a big hit!

This excellent debut had me hooked from the beginning. The author sets the stage writing about the post WWII and how women played an important role in the tobacco industry while the men were away. Young Maddie, all of fourteen years old gets deposited at her aunt’s house while her widowed mom goes in search of a new husband and a better life. All the glitz and glamour of the society women and their galas as Maddie becomes the chief seamstress when her aunt falls ill. While dealing with these demanding women, she finds some damning evidence against the tobacco company and the effects of cigarettes on the health of humans. Not sure who she can trust with this information she tries to confront some of the people in charge. The author writes with authenticity about the time period and the value of women in society. When the men came home, the women are no longer needed in the workforce and can return to being housewives once again. Maddie presents the evidence to one of the wives as we hold our breath wondering if she will do the right thing. I absolutely loved the epilogue and how the author brought the story full circle. Well written and well researched! #TheTobaccoWives
#AdeleMyers #NetGalley

The Tobacco Wives is a story set in WWII-era North Carolina. Maddie, a young seamstress, is suddenly placed in the care of her aunt. When Maddie's aunt falls ill and is hospitalized, she must take on the task of creating gowns for the elite wives of the tobacco industry's elite. When she uncovers damning information about the realities of tobacco, she must decide what to do and how to do it.

Ms. Myers tells a suspenseful and authentic story that kept me intrigued until the very end. I was invested in the outcome and found the main characters inherently likable. Maddie's transformation from a naive country girl to a woman with integrity and power makes this story a fascinating and unique read. I highly recommend this book! Thank you NetGalley, Ms. Myers, and the publisher for an advance e-reader copy of this book!

Well written and well researched, but very very slooooow. I really struggled to through it because of that. I think this is definitely something that those who favor slow building plots and history would really enjoy. 3.5 for me, rounded up to 4 because it really is excellently done. Just not my personal cup of tea.

Sweet and southern, THE TOBACCO WIVES is recommended for fans of women's fiction. The characters are entertaining and the plot moves at a nice pace. Myers also does a lovely job with the setting.

I noticed this is a debut novel and I do want to mention that the writing feels slightly simplistic or even clichéd in spots and in several instances the dialogue dumps information in a cringeworthy fashion.

Nonetheless, I very much enjoyed this breezy, engrossing novel. Recommended for fans of Diane Chamberlain, Mary Alice Monroe, Mary Kay Andrews, and Kristy Woodson Harvey.

This book was terrific, an easy engrossing read, addressed an important topic with amazingly believable characters. As a health researcher, I was engrossed by a novel about the health risks of tobacco and how, even on an individual level, a woman can make a difference in a critical health issue. These battles continue today.

And as a person who relocated from the west to the south, I loved the wisdom of southern quotes. I will think of this one whenever I unwrap a present. “We all have troubles, dear,” she said, squeezing my hand. “They just come in different wrapping paper.”

And our current political rivalry and related health risks, make me appreciate this one. “It might not be right, but just you keep in mind that it can be hard for folks to do the right thing when they’ve got something to lose.”

You will find fun, grief, discovery, love and loss in this inspiring and joyful read.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!!! I enjoyed this book start to finish. It clipped along at just the right pace with characters I wanted to know more about and balanced touch of history. I loved the theme running just below the surface about finding your voice and empowering yourself to reach farther and go higher as a woman in the world. We got to see both sides of the story of how rocking the boat could make your fancy life worse and your not so fancy life better. Even with the short timeline of the book, our main heroine grows by leaps and bounds. She finds her voice in this crowded world and truly makes the difference in the world we need from time to time.