I loved Betsy from the first page. She is feisty and clearly a chip off the block of her radical aunt. When she teams up with the drunk from the office, the story really gets going. The dueling timelines kept me on the edge of my seat. To be honest, I was a bit sick as I read this book because this is the stuff they don't teach us in school. A woman trying to unionize, a newspaper shut down for publishing the truth. Unfortunately, these are still happening now.

The only thing I didn't like was that the story did drag in places, but not so much that it took away from the main themes of the story.

I award Plagued by Bad Beliefs 4 out of 5 stars.

This book has a number of themes that help you understand the culture of South Carolina and former Confederate states.

Using a central character it explains how powerful people controlled workers in the appallingly conditions of post civil war cotton mills.These families manipulated state politicians,banks, the sheriff etc.to maintain power and racially divide the workers.

Sadly based on true events the workers become drawn into organising a union branch at the mill ending in seven murders.A rigged jury surprise surprise finds the armed thugs not guilty and the workers abandoned. Tragic ......just like America today ?

A really well researched masterpiece a little confused at times.

Quote: “It’s difficult to change opinions once they harden …. The false information gets accepted; usually because it fits what folks want to believe.”

American South ~ Abuse ~ Civil War ~ Lies ~ Slavery ~ Ignorance ~ Textile mills ~ Racism ~ Unfair laws ~ Labor unions ~ Great Depression ~ Hatred ~ Death ~ Dual timeline ~ Highly recommended

Previously published in 2017.

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

The story sparks off with Betsy, the journalist, being flabbergasted by a group of ladies who do not want to hear the truth. She goes back to the news room and commiserates with Vernon, a fellow journalist who loves the truth. He ends up telling Betsy a long story about how he was evicted from his own newpaper in a small town where there is a cotton mill, also with a long story fraught with untruths about mill workers who were marginalize and unfairly treated over their protests about "stretch-out" shifts during the Depression years. The mistreatment had become increasingly worse when Webster's, the mill owner, wife Amelia died. The mill workers try to become unionized to protect themselves.

The twists and warps of truth of murder and strikes become fossilized lies as did the beliefs of Southerners about the American Civil War catalyst. The author, Jerry Dean Pate exposes how these "Bad Beliefs" (and others) come to be and people's attitudes towards them; who starts them, who perpetutates them and why.

I can say I'm not very shocked by the answers, but do find it alarming and agitating how those of lower economic income can be, and are, treated. Although this narrative is written as Historical Fiction fashion, it still addresses these ills of 'those days' that still 'plague' today's "little guy" populace in unfortunate 'alive and well' status. I hope we can all become more aware and concerned for such predicaments and not be among the perpetrators' class. Bravo to author Pate for bringing this to pro-active listening-ear readers!

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~
April 2022

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by NetGalley and the publisher.