The Tobacco Wives gives you an inside look into how the better life lives. Maddie is a young woman who is abandoned by her mother and is staying with her Aunt, who is the seamstress for all of the Tobacco Wives. Maddie arrives right before the big summer ball when her aunt is hospitalized for an illness. Mitzy, the wife of one of the cigarette companies takes Maddie in and under her wing. Maddie finds a letter that states that cigarettes are harmful to both people who smoke them but also for unborn babies. Maddie confronts the doctor who said that the cigarettes produced in the United States are ok and the threatens Maddie if she goes forward with the letter her would not give her aunt the treatment she needs to get better. I was born in the 70’s and it wasn’t uncommon for people to smoke in restaurants, houses and everywhere you went. I liked how Maddie had a goal of going to college to get a degree for fashion and that at the end of the book that Mitzy did what she should’ve done while making her speech and turned over the information of how dangerous cigarettes are. This would be a great book for a book club to do. I am looking forward to the author’s next book!

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers, narrated by Shannon McManus.
I was excited to learn about life on a tobacco plantation and ended up being disappointed. Adele Myers creates a story based on her family history but changes important details. Rather than sticking with facts, Myers intertwines women's labor issues into a different time in history. I appreciated the inclusion of LGBT characters, but feel that during this time period in the south that they would not have been as accepted as they were.
I did appreciate McManus' narration. Her southern drawl adds to the setting of the story.

Outstanding read in every way. The Tobacco Wives, taking place in the 1940's, describes the the tobacco industry of North Carolina, it's prominence, it's people, and it's legacy. The characters are so very sincere and identifiable Some you will love and some you will love to hate. At least until you wear their shoes.
The fictional story is a true charmer. Doing what is right is not always the easiest or of popular opinion. It is the conviction of the strong willed to sacrifice themselves, for the greater good, that keeps society in moral check. The tobacco industry was not built with good health intentions in mind, but rather large profits and financial gain. The booming market preyed upon misrepresentation and ultumately human lives were sacrificed. Greed is an evil thing.
The historical portion of this book is absolutely intriguing. Just how long and how deep were the true effects of tobacco use known and intentionally covered up? Such scandal, so many lies and so much intentional misrepresentation. Who is to be held responsible? At what level, a what financial loss, at what personal disgrace?
Who is to stand strong and publically denounce the harsh truths regarding tobacco use?
The Tobacco Wives provides a great feel and understanding of the time, the tobacco industry, and its disturbing consequences.. Never has learning been so enjoyable as the way in which this story is been told.
I am already excited to see what this author brings to us next.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#Netgalley #thetobaccowives #adelemyers

I enjoyed this book very much. In a story about the seamstress Maddy, Adele Myers tackles subjects like women's rights and the dangers of tobacco. It's incredible to think about how much our attitude towards tobacco has changed just over one generation!
A lovely read. Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read and review this ARC.

I loved this story. I loved the historical elements of the production and advertisement of tobacco products. Advertisements were already a thing of the past when I was growing up. Marketing to women was something I was unaware of until I read this novel, especially what we know now. I enjoyed the talk of galas and the beautiful dresses that were being made. The only thing that I would like to add is that I wish this book was narrated by multiple characters so it would have had more depth. They all had struggles but we only really heard one voice. I want to know more about the other wives since it is in the title. I listened to the audio version and I was asked if I liked the narrator. The answer is yes and no. I thought she did a wonderful job but her accent just didn't suit what I had in my head. Her accent was a bit mild for being from the holler, but I do also understand some people can understand heavy accents. The woman who did the epilogue was fantastic.

I listened to the audiobook of The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers. The narration was sublime with regional accents that made it pleasurable to listen to. Maddie is a young girl in North Carolina who is helping out her seamstress aunt. She gets to know the tobacco wives and also some unsettling news about the tobacco industry. She struggles with what she should do with this news. The ramifications of her decision could have far-reaching results. Read and enjoy!

I was first drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the setting- my home state! The author's extensive research and even family history made this book a great read. I was totally immersed in the North Carolina town and the lives of the Tobacco wives and the narrators were compelling.

Thank you to NetGalley for the audiobook!

Maddie has spent time every summer helping her Aunt Etta with her seamstress business in a tobacco town of North Carolina but this summer is different. Maddie's dad was killed in the war and her mother is trying to figure out her own life so she dumps Maddie with her aunt early. It is Aunt Etta's busy season, sewing dresses for the tobacco wives for the big gala and Maddie will be able to help. But life throws a twist in the plans and Aunt Etta is hospitalized and leaves Maddie to run her business. Maddie is swept up by Mitzi, the queen bee tobacco wife, as she provides a home and equipment for Maddie while Aunt Etta is in the hospital. But Maddie discovers a secret that can bring down the entire tobacco town. What can Maddie do and what will be the cost?

The narrators were enjoyable and brought you into the world of Bright Leaf, North Carolina.

THE TOBACCO WIVES is a deeply inspiring, joyful read, that will transport readers to 1940s North Carolina, and tobacco fields, big parties, fancy dresses, and a big secret about tobacco that our young main character uncovers and has to decide what to do with when she knows it will cause harm to her town.

A really lovely coming of age novel, and the southern setting gave me Crawdads vibes throughout reading it. I can really see this book taking off and being a big hit. It would make an incredible feature film like The Help.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked Tobacco Wives. It takes place in a time period that I haven't read much about. I knew how important tobacco was in the south, but not how much it affected entire towns. It broke my heart when Maddie's mom plucked her out of her bed and drove her to her aunt's and left her. I loved how Maddie grew as a character. I also enjoyed getting to know the supporting characters. The story turned in to so much more than just a young girl learning to adapt to living with her aunt. This book lets you into the lives of everyone into the town and how tobacco is king, affecting everyone. We learn about the women who went to work in the factories when the men were fighting in WW2 and how they were being fired when the men returned. This novel touches on women's rights. It also shares information about the health risks of tobacco and how little it was shared.

While this is an adult book, I think high school students would like this book. Maddie is 15 in the story, but has to make several adult decisions.
I will be purchasing it for our library. I highly recommend it.

The Tobacco Wives is about a 15 year old girl who is unceremoniously left with her seamstress aunt in 1946 North Carolina. Maddie has been sewing with her aunt for years but after her aunt falls ill she is put in charge of designing and sewing dresses for all the local Tobacco Wives for their annual Gala. I had to put aside my disbelief that a girl that young could do everything she does with her sewing in order to enjoy the story.

There is so much more than the dresses, there are all these women who seem to have everything when in reality they have no control over their lives. The women in the cigarette factory have more say in their life than the rich women although their jobs are threatened as the men return from WWII. The Tobacco Wives takes a close look at what women were able to accomplish and what they weren't in 1946. The underlying theme of female empowerment was decades off as the Epilog showed.

Tobacco was king in North Carolina and when there is evidence that is may be bad for the health of pregnant women, the ones who profited from tobacco would go to great lengths to hide the details.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance Audio of this book.

Applause to Adele Myers for addressing this important topic!


Author's Notes:
Adele Myers book "The Tobacco Wives" is historical fiction based on national tobacco companies misrepresented advertising aimed at women (inspite of medical documentation that it was harmful). The ads boldly boasted that "social elites smoke as a fashion statement" and "smoking could help with loss of weight" even knowing that it was linked to cancer. They ignored "disturbing factory practices such as using floor sweeping to make off brand reconstituted cigarettes '"recon for short"' Additionally, tobacco field workers as early as the 1940's were getting sick from handling the "ripe green leaves" of the tobacco plants. This sickness was called "The Green Monster".


The Premise:
Maddie Sykes age 15, is unexpectedly left to live at her aunt's house. She is a wiz at sewing and begins working with her aunt making dresses for the "socially elite" women in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. Bright Leaf is the "tobacco capital of the South". Maddie realizes the ladies that live in the town are experiencing medical issues and figures out that it could be linked to tobacco useage. She wants it known, but is caught in a moral dilemma that could damage the town and the women she admires.


My Opinion:
Is this audiobook perfect? No! There are a few eye-roll moments, but the story needs to be told! I am still giving it 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ based on the strong important topic the book addresses.


Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for the honor of reviewing this fantastic audiobook. I greatly appreciate it! "The Tobacco Wives" will be published March 1, 2022.

I really enjoyed this historical Fiction novel set in the south. This was good clean Historical fiction that showed women gaining power and the evils of big tobacco. But also some points made you stop and give pause. Over all I really enjoyed this book!! Thank you NetGalley for the early release copy!!

This was an okay book for me. I really liked the unique historical fiction surrounding "big tobbaco" and how women played various roles supporting big tobacco during the 1940s. That being said, I found that there were way too many "issues" the book was trying explore and develop... which led to all the "issues" the characters were involved in to be underdeveloped.

Loved the narrator!

This one didn't live up to expectations. The premise was great, but I didn't think the writing was that great and there were plot points that were totally implausible. How could Maddie just happen so slip and tell the doctor she knew about the letter, for example? Clearly, the book addresses an important subject and cover-up that happened in many tobacco states, but the execution was mediocre.

This book is an engaging little romp through 1946 North Carolina through the eyes of a poor 15 year old who is just trying to stay afloat. Maddie gets thrown into an impossible situation of creating gala dresses for the town's richest women all while trying to figure out how brave she actually is. Myers helps us take a peek at what early feminism mixed with big tobacco may have looked like. It's nothing too deep but it does make you think a little. I think this one will go over well with the book club set!

Shannon McManus and Janet Metzger did a fantastic job of narrating!

I really enjoyed this book, and the audio version enhanced my experience. I often use audiobooks and the printed version interchangably -- audio when I am walking or my eyes are tired. But if the narrator doesn''t work for me, I won't listen no matter how much I like the book. This narrator really added to the story, capturing Maddie's character just as I imagined her to be.

I listened to the audio version of this book and I am so glad I did. Having the accents added so much to the story that I wouldn't have had if just imagining the voices in my mind. I truly enjoyed this book. It was a lighthearted telling of serious topics and I am so glad it ended in the way it did.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review. (Kudos to the publisher on a fabulous cover that is sure to draw attention to this novel).

This debut novel captured me from the very beginning. And after reading the afterword (wait until you read the novel to read it) I learned that the author's family comes from the tobacco area in North Carolina and she herself heard a lot of first-hand stories about the famous "tobacco wives."

While the main topic of this book is indeed young Maddie's accidental discovery that tobacco is not as good for your health as every as always says (this is the 1950s), what I enjoyed most about this tale of historical fiction is Maddie's coming of age take on life and in the epilogue older Maddie's perspective on this one particular summer in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. The summer that would change her forever. Not to even mention how well the author weaves the issues of factory work conditions and women's rights into this story.

*I take one star away only because I think it wrapped up far too quickly in the end and left me, as a reader, feeling a bit cheated.

I audio format is well done and the narrator for young Maddie is a good choice. You can hear her wide-eyed innocence. The first half of the book is a long lead-up to the "discovery" and it bothered me that Maddie so easily put it aside for so long. But I have to put myself in the state of mind of a 15-year-old in the 1950s.

I truly hope we hear more from this author. There was a lot in this book about the tobacco industry that I did not know and it wasn't a great shock, knowing what scums of the earth they are.

Adele Myers novel The Tobacco Wives is a work of historical fiction . Loved the history of North Carolina tobacco lands and their wives in the 1940's. Her story about a 15 year old girl Maddy being left or dumped by her mother at her aunts house to help her one summer sewing the gowns for the tobacco wives big galla, while her mother finds herself. Maddy's aunt falls ill and Maddy must weave her way through the tobacco and the people that run the tobacco empire. Rich with history of North Carolina the story held it's own. I was a little let down at the end when the story jumped from 15 year old Maddy to 55 year old Maddy. Just a little disappointed, felt I was cheated out of Maddy's and the tobacco wives lives.