"The Tobacco Wives"--by Adele Myers--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--a vibrant historical debut set in 1946 North Carolina following a young female seamstress who uncovers dangerous truths about Big Tobacco

  

The Tobacco Wives

For the audience of Fiona Davis and Lisa Wingate, a vibrant historical debut set in 1946 North Carolina following a young female seamstress who uncovers dangerous truths about the Big Tobacco empire ruling the American South.

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.

 

Reviews

 

“The Tobacco Wives is a sweep-you-away story with a lush North Carolina setting and a courageous woman at its center. What more do we want from a story than this? Myers’s prose is stitched together as beautifully as the fancy dresses her protagonist Maddie Sykes sews for the elite women of this tobacco town. The question at the heart of this novel trembles with power—what happens when what we know is right conflicts with what we are being told is true? Myers’s story will resonate long after you turn the last page; powerful and authentic, The Tobacco Wives is unforgettable." -- Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Surviving Savannah 

“Myers brilliantly seduces us with her setting—a North Carolina town of beautiful socialites, opulent dresses, and elegant soirees—before revealing a terrible secret that threatens the entire community. This is a story of courage, of women willing to take a stand in the face of corporate greed, and most definitely a tale for our times.” -- Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue

"The future in Bright Leaf seems bright for Maddie Sykes and for the local tobacco wives who can’t get enough of Maddie’s glamorous gowns. But beneath the idyllic surface lie dangerous underpinnings and a choice that will test one young woman’s spirit, forcing her to weigh the relative value of profits and people. A beautifully rendered portrait of a young woman finding her courage and her voice."  -- Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours

“Adele Myers brings mid-century North Carolina vividly to life in her impressive, beautifully detailed debut novel, The Tobacco Wives, a suspenseful coming-of-age story of a brave young woman’s search for dangerous truths obscured by corporate deceit and betrayal.” -- Jennifer Chiaverini, New York Times bestselling author of Resistance Women

“With an atmosphere so thick you could blow it out in smoke rings, Adele Myers vividly conjures post war North Carolina, where ladies wear matching hats and gloves and no one questions the supremacy of the all-powerful tobacco leaf—except one young woman, trying to find her place in the world, torn between conflicting loyalties. A thoroughly immersive and engaging read!” -- Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of Band of Sisters

"The Tobacco Wives is a perfect example of the kind of historical fiction I love best: a story firmly grounded in the past that still feels powerfully resonant today. In Adele Myers's capable hands, post-WW2 North Carolina--the tobacco capital of the South--comes alive in technicolor, with all the glamour of Southern society, as well as a hidden underbelly of dangerous secrets and lies. We're along for the satisfying journey as Maddie Sykes--a plucky 16-year-old who has faced more loss than anyone deserves--learns what she's made of and tries to summon the courage to stand up to people who could make or break the rest of her life. A powerful debut and coming-of-age story rich in pitch-perfect dialogue and detail, The Tobacco Wives will transport you to Big Tobacco's golden age just as it begins to unravel--and remind you that we all have the power to stand up and fight for the things that are right."  -- Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names and The Forest of Vanishing Stars

“A sparkling debut… Historical fiction fans will be pleased.” -- Publishers Weekly

 

 

Adele Myers

 

 

Adele Myers grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and has a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She currently works in advertising and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, son, and their rescue dog Chipper. The Tobacco Wives is her first novel.

https://www.adelemyersauthor.com