The Tobacco Wives
Fiction
William Morrow
March 1, 2022
Hardcover
352
Purchased
Maddie Sykes is a burgeoning seamstress who’s just arrived in Bright Leaf, North Carolina—the tobacco capital of the South—where her aunt has a thriving sewing business. After years of war rations and shortages, Bright Leaf is a prosperous wonderland in full technicolor bloom, and Maddie is dazzled by the bustle of the crisply uniformed female factory workers, the palatial homes, and, most of all, her aunt’s glossiest clientele: the wives of the powerful tobacco executives.
When a series of unexpected events thrusts Maddie into the role of lead dressmaker for the town’s most influential women, she scrambles to produce their ornate gowns for the biggest party of the season. But she soon learns that Bright Leaf isn’t quite the carefree paradise that it seems: A trail of misfortune follows many of the women, including substantial health problems. Although Maddie is quick to believe that this is a coincidence, she inadvertently uncovers evidence that suggests otherwise.
Maddie wants to report what she knows, but in a town where everyone depends on Big Tobacco to survive, she doesn’t know who she can trust—and fears that exposing the truth may destroy the lives of the proud, strong women with whom she has forged strong bonds.
Shedding light on the hidden history of women’s activism during the post-war period, at its heart, The Tobacco Wives is a deeply human, emotionally satisfying, and dramatic novel about the power of female connection and the importance of seeking truth.
My review:
Two things immediately drew me to this book when I first saw it mentioned. One was that it is set in North Carolina where I have lived for almost three decades, and the second was the cover (isn't it spectacular, kudos to whoever designed this one!). This is a historical fiction novel set in 1946 (another plus since there are SO many books set during WWII) about a small town where tobacco is king. We mostly follow the wives of the tobacco executives and a young seamstress who is tasked with creating ball gowns for their annual party. Lots of issues get exposed, among them the huge divide between the haves and have nots within the town, the conditions at the factories where the women have worked while the men have served in the war, and the potential coverup of the dangers of smoking (particularly among child bearing women). I loved the descriptions of the dress making business, and the usual gossip among the wives as they came in for their fittings. My favorite part was the moral dilemma the protagonist was in, since exposing an issue with tobacco could endanger the livelihood of the entire town (and let's be honest, the entire state of NC back then). I really enjoyed the characters in this story, and I felt transported back to that time while I was reading it. Definitely give the author's note a read to learn how this book intersected with her own family's history. If you ever drive through the rural parts of NC you can still see the acres of tobacco being grown. It's a spectacular site to see when the leaves are at their peak, too bad what comes from it is not as lovely.
A really entertaining historical fiction novel that is a bit lighter in scope (not dealing with war), but at the same time packs a punch in exposing a dangerous threat to society. An immersive story with a memorable plot, I recommend this one.
