First I will say this novel is one of those books where the cover does not necessarily match up with the tone of the story. It is a beautifully bright cover, while the plot has more of a darker, serious vibe. Set in the 1930's it is an accurate representation of the social behaviors and attitudes of the time with regards to the education of girls, and let me say - it is heartbreaking at points.

Meagan Church writes with such passion and a precision of words, the reader can't help but feel every emotion Leah Payne is feeling at the time. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this novel. I highly recommend it for any historical fiction readers out there.

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and Meagan Church for gifting me The Last Carolina Girl in return for my honest review.

3.5/5 stars
Some folks will do anything to control the wild spirit of a Carolina girl...

For fourteen-year-old Leah Payne, life in her beloved coastal Carolina town is as simple as it is free. Devoted to her lumberjack father and running through the wilds where the forest meets the shore, Leah’s country life is as natural as the Loblolly pines that rise to greet the Southern sky.

When an accident takes her father’s life, Leah is wrenched from her small community and cast into a family of strangers with a terrible secret. Separated from her only home, Leah is kept apart from the family and forced to act as a helpmate for the well-to-do household. When a moment of violence and prejudice thrusts Leah into the center of the state’s shameful darkness, she must fight for her own future against a world that doesn’t always value the wild spirit of a Carolina girl.

This was a good historical fiction book, Leah is such a wonderfully written character that showed so much growth. I also enjoyed how I was surprised at where the plot went, it wasn't what I was expecting.

I do wish that the secondary characters had a little more depth to them. They were just kind of blah and I didn't really feel connected to them in any way. I wish there was more substance to them.

All-in-all this is a heartbreakingly beautiful book that I would recommend to historical fiction fans.

Storytelling at its finest! Meagan Church created a masterpiece in The Last Carolina Girl. I read this book and then listened to the audio. It was hard to stop listening to this heartfelt story of fourteen-year-old Leah Payne. Leah’s mom died in childbirth, and her father, a lumberjack, died in a work accident when she was fourteen years old. The story starts in a small North Carolina town near the ocean. Child Services told her she would have to go to a new family and leave her neighbor’s home. Her friend, Jesse, said he would write her.

Poor Lena moved into a home where the mother treated her as a “helpmate”. Lena load to stay in a closet-like structure off the back porch, cook, iron…..Mrs. Griffin reminded me of the wicked step-mother in Cinderella. I wept, had angry conversations with myself about Mrs. Griffin. The story takes place in 1935, and Eugenics has a role to play in the story. I am glad the author added an epilogue; however, I would have liked for it to be a bit longer. This book would make an excellent choice for book clubs.

Set in NC in 1930s, story of family, loss, jealousy, friendship and love. Was hard to read and made me hate a few characters… bittersweet ending but I was afraid of a worse ending. Great debut book

I unfortunately DNFd this book. I did not enjoy the other compared books but I think that it could definitely be enjoyed by others

I was really excited about this as a ~Carolina Gal,~ but I didn't love Where the Crawdads Sing, and that seems to be a requirement for this book lol. In fact... it's A LOT like that other book...

// 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥 //

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆.5
Genre: Historical Fiction

𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑰𝒇 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆:
🌷 Coming of Age Stories
🏋️‍♂️ Heavy Topics
The

𝑶𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔
Overall this story was just very heavy and depressing. It was being compared to Where the Crawdads Sing, which I think is so misleading and also such a bold statement given the beauty and popularity of that book.

My heart just broke repeatedly for Leah. She lost so much at a young age and endured such tragedy. Loss of both parents resulted in the state deciding her future. She wanted nothing more than to be with a family she knows, but instead finds herself living with strangers who treat and refer to her as the help. The woman who is supposed to be nurturing her is one of the most horrendous characters I’ve ever come across. I truly cannot fathom someone treating a child the way she treated Leah. To further the depth of this woman’s wickedness, her husband lacked a backbone and supported her treatment of Leah.

There is a bit of a twist/reveal that adds some depth and background information, but it definitely does not excuse what happens. I was genuinely speechless and angry once Leah finds herself at her new “home.”

If you read the conversation with the author, you’ll be very heartbroken and angry (among many other emotions) when you learn that her story is based on a family member who underwent a similar situation. As with most historical fiction books, I took the opportunity to do some research on this. Though maybe not 100% accurate in how it was told through this story, the truth is that 60,000 individuals (60% women) experienced such a personal violation between 1927 and 1957 in America. I was completely baffled by this fact and that the Supreme Court actually voted in favor of it at one point.

Though a heavy read, and definitely NOT comparable to Where The Crawdad Sing, I’m grateful to have learned something new (even if it is deplorable) from American History. The authors note really made it all the more impactful.

Leah is a strong headed and determined girl who when her world is turned upside down she must fight for what is right and for herself. This is a superb debut that is one to relish in.

Wow this book really surprised me! What started out as a bit of a snoozer turned into a moving, heavy, and impactful work! The first half is very slow, but in the second half I quickly became invested when I realized where the book was headed. Taking place in the south in the 1930’s, the book centers around fourteen year old Leah. Leah and her father live a very simple life with very little means, just the two of them. When tragedy strikes, Leah is left alone in the world, on a downward trajectory of unfortunate events. The pain and suffering Leah goes through is heartbreaking, devastating, and so very real for that time in history. It’s scary and painful and hard to even imagine. I grew to love Leah’s character, even her somewhat naïveté. While I don’t usually read much historical fiction, I’m really glad I stuck with this one because Leah’s is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Meagan Church, Sourcebooks, and NetGalley for the advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!

In the loving arms of her lumberjack father, Leah is content with their simple life and their tiny cottage next to her best friend Jesse, unbothered by the judgement of others. But when tragedy strikes and she is forced to move away from everything she has ever known and into a house of strangers, she is disheartened when she is not welcomed into the house with loving arms but with cold contempt from the matriarch, who sees her as a low class citizen. Yet as she continues to grow up and wonders what the future holds for her, she has no idea how deep the resentment in her new community lies.
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There was a melancholic tone to this story from the very beginning, a dread that sat like a rock in my stomach as I read it, but I will say when the looming threat is finally revealed, I was not expecting it. It moves slowly, without much action to keep the story moving, and you're just waiting for the shoe to drop. The overarching antagonist is deep-seated prejudice and jealousy that amounts to devastating cruelty and I feel ashamed and angry that it is a reality of a too-recent history for those of low socioeconomic status and POC.
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I went into the story somewhat blind and even if I had read the description, I'm not sure I would have been ready for what I found. Ultimately, this was not was I was looking for in a read at the time. This is not escapism but is meant to inspire important conversations. There is beautiful imagery that evokes Where the Crawdads Sing with the energy of the North Carolina coast in the 20th century. Overall, not for me, but beautifully written.
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Thank you Net Galley, Meaghan Church, and Sourcebooks for this ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an audio-ARC of The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church.
The Last Carolina Girl is a story of coming to age when life is no longer in your control. Church creates a story that is both sad and promising. The story of a young girl forced into a life she doesn't want.

A haunting coming of age story with a couple of surprises. Great Southern Historical fiction.
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Leah’s life is turned upside down when her lumberjack father passed away. She is sent away from the only home she knows to live with family she has no relationship with. Rather than live among her new family, they chose to use her a housemate. While Leah desperately tries to stay connected to her past, her future tries to stop it. How and does she get back to roots?

This book teaches us to hold on to our values, trust our instincts and never give up.

The Last Carolina Girl is an incredibly well researched and well written novel. Church states in her author's note that her inspiration was the eerily similar story of a family member, making this novel even more impactful in my mind.

This novel depicts the eugenics movement in the 1930s where disabled and epileptic people were forcibly sterilized, so if that's not something you want to read about, this is not the novel for you. However, if you're open to reading about these topics, it's a must-read.

This is a fantastic coming of age story following fourteen year old Leah, an orphan sent to work as the help in a rich household. I immediately fell in love with Leah's character and that made it a very difficult and emotional read at times. Be prepared to feel everything acutely right alongside her.

This story is similar in some aspects to <u>Where the Crawdads Sing</u> by Delia Owens, but I think I liked The Last Carolina Girl more. I don't think I would have picked this one up if I didn't have the ARC.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this novel. Review will be posted on Instagram (@ellie.reads.a.lot) by the end of the week.

⭐⭐⭐.5

The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church is a novel that follows the life of fourteen-year-old Leah Payne in her coastal Carolina town. Leah’s simple and free life, spent with her lumberjack father and exploring the wilds where the forest meets the shore, is disrupted when a tragic accident takes her father’s life. She is then forced into a family with a dark secret, separating her from her home and making her work for a wealthy household. When Leah becomes embroiled in an act of violence and prejudice, she must fight for her future in a world that doesn’t always appreciate the spirit of a Carolina girl. The story is set in 1935 against the backdrop of a recently formed state eugenics board.

The Last Carolina Girl has an appealing cover that caught my attention. I was initially drawn to the setting and time period, which I found intriguing. The inclusion of the eugenics movement as a plot thread added depth to the story. I particularly enjoyed Leah’s character and found her compelling.

However, I felt that the overall pace of the book was choppy. I would have liked more depth in both the plot and characters. Additionally, I found the ending abrupt and felt it needed a few more chapters to bring about a satisfying conclusion. Despite these shortcomings, The Last Carolina Girl offers powerful themes of strength, forgotten history, autonomy, and finding one’s true home.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

Oh my goodness, this novel. It is such a sad story, but you will feel the main character’s strength and perseverance as she goes through one terrible experience and traumas inducing event after another. The book is not based on a true story, per say, but taken from inspiration from something that happened to the author’s relative and with research, it is shown in this book. Just when you think you know the direction of this novel, you will be hit with something so unbelievably horrendous and then a plot twist you didn’t see coming.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the e copy

Absolutely loved this book! With similar vibes to Where the Crawdads Sing, I was insta to sucked in. The writing is beautiful and I was transported while reading. Highly recommend this book

Leah is a young girl on the brink of her teenage years living a simple life with her dad in North Carolina until one day when an unthinkable tragedy happens and sends Leah's life into a tail spin. She is sent away from everything she's ever known and thrown into a world of chaos, rules and propriety. She does everything she can to start a new life while never forgetting who she is or where she came from.

This was an unexpected surprise hit for me. I wasn't too sure what to expect when I started it. It sounded very much like Where the Crawdads Sing, and was very similar in style and story. My only reason for not giving it 5 stars was that I felt the ending was a little bit rushed. While I enjoyed the turn the story took at the end, it felt like there was so much building up, then in 1 chapter the author had everything come to fruition and it was over too quickly. I would've liked to have seen the ending get a little bit more time that it deserved. Other than that, it was a delightful story and kept me captivated the whole time.
Thank you to the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my review and opinions.

This was a DNF for me, I just was not immersed enough in the story to want to keep going. I think others might love this

This story is full of raw emotions. The characters are beautifully developed, especially Leah Payne. I could not put the book down and kept a box of tissues at my side. The author brings to life the Carolinas in 1935. The class-divide is palpable and the rich truly believe that the poor lack intelligence just because there is less money in their bank accounts. This book is one that should not be missed.