Adele MyersRecensioni

Okay read - recommend!

This was a really interesting boom. A historical novel about the tobacco industry in North Carolina.
Maddie is a 15 year old aspiring seamstress. Her mother leaves her at her aunts for the summer to go find a new man. Aunt Etta runs a successful business making dresses for the tobacco wives. She takes Maddie on as an apprentice. Unfortunately, Aunt Etta contracts the measles and is unable to continue her work. Maddie takes over and blossoms into an enerterprising seamstress. She develops a friendship with the "queen" of the tobacco wives. As she's working, she finds out some disturbing facts about tobacco. She tries to enlighten others to these facts but they choose to be blind so that they can continue to live their posh lives. She finally gets through to Mitzy but she's reluctant to press her husband for change. After he passes away, Mitzy brings proof to Maddie who is petitioning congress on the side effects of smoking. Maddie also opens her own shop and marries David who is Mitzy's godson. So much more happens in the book. I recommend reading it.

This book might have been better if I had read it instead of listening to it. It took me more than two weeks to finish it because I kept falling asleep.½

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.½

Thanks to the Book Club Girl Early Read program and NetGalley for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a coming-of-age, historical fiction debut taking place in the south at the conclusion of World War II. This Young Adult novel is a fictionalized story of the beginning years of Big Tobacco’s deceit concerning cigarettes’ deadly health hazards. Author Adele Myers explains her choice of topic: “While early evidence of tobacco’s dangers focused on lung cancer, I chose to write about the impact smoking had on women. The 1940s was a time of social unrest, wartime conflict, and emerging new options for women, a time that some historians say spurred the modern women’s rights movement. Setting the book in this period and taking liberties with the timeline and nature of tobacco studies’ emergence enabled me to explore themes such as Southern women’s role in society, the impact of WWII on the workforce, and the use of women in advertising.”

The story is told from the point of view of 15-year-old Maddie Sykes, who is abruptly left for the summer with her Aunt Etta by her recently widowed mother. Maddie has been mentored by her aunt, a talented seamstress to the wealthiest women in the North Carolina town of Bright Leaf. Aunt Etta calls her clients Tobacco Wives, and when she suddenly becomes ill, it is up to Maddie to take over and produce glamourous couture-like gowns for the upcoming Gala.

While demonstrating her dressmaking talent, Maddie uncovers secrets about the dangers of tobacco, the reasons for many local health issues, and discovers who are deceivers and who are true friends. She matures during this time, with encouragement from women such as Ashley, an influential socialite who tells her: “Keep at it, Maddie. That feeling of satisfaction, knowing you can take care of yourself. That’s something no one can take away from you.”

The setting was realistically described: the small southern town of Bright Leaf, the classes (society mavens vs. the working women), the weather, the mansions and clothes. But the characters were somewhat predictable - from the socialites to the villainous tobacco magnates. I had trouble buying into Maddie’s character as she vacillated from naïve and impetuous to reasonably grown up – and I found her sewing/designing talent and capabilities at that young age hard to believe.

Within the framework of the tobacco industry, this novel illustrates the history of women’s activism during the post-war period, demonstrating the power of female connection and the importance of truth, honesty, and integrity.

This would be great for book clubs as well as an important book for high school readers.

I’ve had this on my TBR digital shelf since December 2021, and so glad to finally read it. Thanks to Val for joining me on this buddy read journey.

this book was so boring!! i was waiting for things to pick up and nothing happened.. even when the climax hit i was still waiting for more. i don't not finish books, but oof i really wanted to put this book down and give it away to the free little library down the street. at some points it's like the author didn't complete her thoughts and there were plot holes! especially with aunt etta and her mom.. also the epilogue? to me that was not needed. so much more could've been done with the writing. there is no action, the romance should've stayed out of this book and there's soooo much descriptive text on the dress and clothing in general that really went nowhere. i really thought the author would've taken off more with gender stereotypes and labor exploitation and unionization, but she decided to neglect all that and keep the plot focused on the dresses...

oh and this book is not a real historical fiction book! it's not grounded in any historical truth and any "truths" about tobacco the world already knows

this book was not dramatic and not emotional at all even though it was hyped up to be. do i think it had potential to be so? yes, i think the author really could've done something with this story, but it fell flat. it was an easy read, not in a good way... there wasn't enough oomph! if it wasn't for book club i would've never read this

Interesting story. I found the main character irritating in that she had no personal confidence. But the plot and situations were excellent.

It’s 1946 and the GI’s are returning from the war and the owners of the Bright Leaf want to fire all the women who now work in the factory to give the jobs back to the men. A young girl visits her seamstress aunt every summer is caught in the middle of mounting evidence that tobacco kills and women’s rights. A quick read.

As a tobacco farmer's daughter, I really enjoyed reading The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers. This is about one young lady, Maggie Sykes, who finds herself in Bright Leaf, North Carolina, the tobacco capital of the South. With her aunt's help, she becomes an outstanding seamstress for the tobacco wives including the powerful tobacco executive wives. What happens to her and what she finds out about tobacco and it's effect on women and babies tell the history. An amazing read for me as I can understand both sides of this tobacco life!

Maddie Sykes is unceremoniously dropped on the doorstep of her Aunt Etta who lives in Bright Leaf, North Carolina - the tobacco capital of the East Coast. When her aunt is suddenly diagnosed with pneumonia and hospitalized, Maddie goes to stay with her aunt's friend Mitzi, who is married to the owner of the biggest tobacco plant in the county. On top of worrying about her aunt, Maddie is also responsible for the gowns her aunt was hired to make for the annual gala for all the tobacco wives.

During her time in Bright Leaf, Maddie gets to know how important the tobacco industry is to the town and how important the employer is to everyone in the area. When Maddie accidentally picks up a confidential letter that details what the company knows about the dangers of smoking - especially on pregnant women.

The narration of this book was fantastic. I truly enjoyed the different characters and the way in which they were portrayed; each had an attitude and personality all their own and were easily distinguished from each other. The narration definitely added to the charm of the story.

This was a different kind of historical fiction than I am used to and I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. This was a wonderfully well-told story that not only explained the tobacco manufacturers' process and thinking but there are also strong tones of feminism and the desire to improve the life of the poor.

Maddie is 15 years old when her father dies in World War II and her mother drops her off with her Great Aunt Etta, a sought after seamstress in Bright Leaf, North Carolina. Maddie learned to sew in previous summers with her great aunt and wants to eventually attend college in design. Unfortunately, shortly after arriving during the summer busy season due to two big gala celebrations held in Bright Leaf, Etta contracts measles, then pneumonia. Maddie has to take over the fitting and designs for the tobacco wives. She is helped by Anthony and meets David Taylor when she goes to live with the Winstons (Mitzi and Richard). Richard Winston is the head of Bright Leaf Tobacco. Maddie accidentally becomes aware of a Swedish study attributing miscarriages and low-birth weight children to the mothers smoking cigarettes.

Interesting book. So sad that we don’t listen to research. Nice characters. Loved the clothes.

The Tobacco Wives is a story about the tobacco industry during the 1940s. It was interesting to learn that through advertising the tobacco companies were able to lie to the public, as they knew that studies were coming out stating that tobacco causes lung cancer. The Green Monster is a deadly condition that the workers who harvested the tobacco leaves get from the oil from the leaves that seeps through their skin. The book received four stars in this review. It is highly recommended.

I was a little disappointed by this book. It was highly praised, but the first half was slow moving and the expected payout at the end fizzled instead. But I gave it 4 stars for writing quality and a more engaging second half.

You have to try the new cigarette for women…MOMints. Especially made for women and safe for pregnant women.

Can you imagine that type of advertisement today?

We meet the tobacco wives endorsing that statement and promoting smoking for everyone.

We also meet Maddie whose mother woke her up in the middle of the night and took her to her Aunt Etta’s.

Aunt Etta lived in the heart of tobacco land in the town called Bright Leaf and where the Bright Leaf Tobacco Company was.

Aunt Etta sewed dresses for the tobacco wives, and Maddie would help her in the summers.

Now that Maddie was there for an unspecified time, she will be helping as a seamstress for these wealthy women.

Maddie didn't know how much she would be helping, but Aunt Etta left her in charge when she became ill.

Can she do this without her aunt?

Will the women trust her?

They trusted her with their gowns, but she also finds out more about the women than their preferences for gorgeous gowns and what goes on in this seemingly idyllic town.

Will she be able to trust anyone or just play the game?

Maddie is a sweet girl with talent, but not enough confidence. You will love how she overcomes her shyness and develops confidence and joins in the fight for women’s rights and exposing the lies of the tobacco industry.

THE TOBACCO WIVES takes us inside the industry as the reader learns how things operated and not always on the up and up.

We also learn about seamstresses and fashion during that time and how tough it was for those who were not tobacco executives or the tobacco wives.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Women's fiction fans and historical fiction fans will also enjoy it. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher for an honest review.

**I received an advanced listening copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

In this remarkable debut, Myers writes a slow burning novel about the era of tobacco in North Carolina, post World War II. Told through the voice of young Maddie, an aspiring seamstress, this novel is riveting and at times gasp-worthy as Maddie discovers some sinister aspects of the tobacco industry. Maddie comes to Bright Leaf to live temporarily with her aunt, who is the main seamstress for the “tobacco wives,” the wives of top executives and other important men in the Bright Leaf world. As Maddie learns her way around the wives and the tobacco factories, she begins to notice things are not quite right. What she discovers may just the way tobacco is viewed forever.

Myers writes that her research and discussion with family members who grew up in North Carolina during the big era of tobacco, and some of their experiences are written into the narrative. The audio version of this book is wonderful – I was so wrapped up in the storytelling that I did not want to turn off the book. I enjoyed the slow building of the story, with some elements of slight suspense, the descriptions of the dresses that Maddie creates, and the growth of Maddie as a strong character. Well worth a read!

*3.5 stars.

One-line synopsis: The coming-of-age story of a 15-year-old aspiring seamstress, Maddie Sykes, who becomes embroiled in issues of women’s labour rights, and the harms of the tobacco industry, while in the tobacco capital of the south during WWII to make dresses for the Tobacco Wives.

I was initially drawn to this book by the excellent title and beautiful cover…plus I am a bit of a sucker for southern historical fiction! But honestly, while I would say I enjoyed the book; I was a little disappointed by it. I was expecting more.

First, credit where credit is due: Myers found a time period and perspective in southern historical fiction (which is a pretty large area) that I have not previously read about.

She also dealt with a lot of important issues, including the struggle of women in the workforce during WWII – having to take on jobs traditionally thought of as “men’s work” **eye roll** only to have to deal with hostile and dangerous conditions to push them out of these jobs once the men started to return. The interplay between this and the harms caused by greed, big business, and the tobacco industry was well done and made sense.

That being said, an issue that I have had with a lot of books recently is that they are trying to include too many causes in their story, which I think ends up doing a disservice to them because they do not get the attention they deserve. I felt like this was the case here, with the multiple references to the plights of the LGBTQ2S+ community. I am really torn by these references because, on the one hand, I understand the importance of acknowledging that these communities were around and struggling, but on the other hand, it was not a focus and so could not be fleshed out. I was left feeling like, what was the point of including this information if it’s not really adding anything to the story you are telling. It should have been left for another book.

The other issue I had and the reason that I did not rate it higher is that it felt like I was reading a YA book. To be fair, it makes sense that this is the direction the author took considering the age of the main character, BUT I think that this story would have benefited from being told from the perspective of an adult embroiled in the issues rather than a 15-year-old outsider looking in. I actually would have LOVED if this story had been told from the queen tobacco wife, Mitzi, OR her sister Ashley!! I mean, it is called the Tobacco Wives, why not tell it from one of their perspectives!!!½

Set amidst the detailed backdrop of the 1940's North Carolina tobacco fields, this stunning book touches on a variety of topics: women's rights in the workplace, the tobacco industry, family and society dynamics, and the grey area between right and wrong.
With well fleshed out characters in realistic circumstances, this multifaceted novel is wonderfully written and held my attention start to finish.
*Thank you William Morrow & Co. Publishing, Adele Myers, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC. The opinions in my review are voluntary.

The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers is a coming of age story about a young woman in 1946. After her father is killed in WW2 Maddie is abandoned by her mother in Bright Leaf, North Carolina with her great aunt. Maddie begins to apprentice for with her aunt, a local seamstress who caters to the tobacco company executive wives. Just prior to a large gala she must step up to cover for her aunt when she becomes ill. As Maddie becomes entrenched with the wives, the families, the factory workers, she is faced with a moral dilemma. What do you do when you find out information that will potentially dismantle the industry that supports an entire town? What’s the cost of withholding such information, who do you trust?

Myers draws on personal history as well as extensive research and it clearly shows in the meticulous attention to detail that doesn’t sacrifice the humanity of her characters. A native of North Carolina she started with family oral history, then researched for years. While the book takes place primarily in 1946 with an epilogue decades later, this is inspired by events spanning from the mid 1940’s through the 1980’s. Not to be missed is the authors note which I found both personal and helpful.

I highly recommend The Tobacco Wives for book clubs and buddy reads as I think there’s so much to discuss here. Also for lovers of historical fiction and fans of Fiona Davis.

Many thanks to BookClubGirl, Netgalley, and William Marrow for the Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review The Tabacco Wives by Adele Myers. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to HarperCollins for an advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I appreciated this novel for its evocative depiction of a vanished world in North Carolina in the forties, where Tobacco was king. While I felt that the writing could have been better in the first half of the novel, I could see events and people as clearly as if the book were already a film. Since the main character, Maddie, was a fashion designer, I would have enjoyed more content about fashion and the actual process of putting together the dresses with the other fashion designer, Anthony. One of the threats that is implied in the first half of the book turns out to be a dead end.

Once Maddie finds out the dark secrets that the tobacco executive executives are hiding and attends a meeting of labor activists in the tobacco factory who want to strike, the villains are unveiled, and the novel moves much more quickly and is much more absorbing. I really wanted Maddie to prevail and for justice to be done. The tobacco wives may be in the title, but they don't work as the main focus especially with the whole drama seen through Maddie's eyes. I know novels with "wife" or "wives" have been a thing in American publishing for a decade, but had this one been called "The Seamstress of Bright Leaf" or something and the focus kept squarely on Maddie (and her primary relationship a working one, with Anthony) it would have improved the novel quite a bit in my opinion.