The Tobacco Wives: A Novel

Most anticipated by USA Today, W Magazine, New York Post, Parade, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Reader's Digest, and PopSugar and named one of the best historical fiction books of the year by Cosmopolitan!

"A beautifully rendered portrait of a young woman finding her courage and her voice."Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author

North Carolina, 1946. One woman. A discovery that could rewrite history.

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.

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, and 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.

“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

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Published Mar 28, 2023

352 pages

Average rating: 6.97

178 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Askamath
Feb 21, 2025
8/10 stars
It was a quick read, the story and characters were masterfully crafted. The one summer experience of Maddie at her aunts and the unfolding drama of the events during the time, how the decisions that were made by some shaped the lives of so many was mindfully done. Overall an A+
JL Reads
Aug 20, 2024
8/10 stars
Set during WWII when the men were called to duty and the women were called to the factories, this was a tale about the lies surrounding Big Tobacco and what happens when old white men continually tell women their place is at home raising babies. Southern women are a force of nature, sometimes that’s a curse but it can be a blessing when it’s time to stand up for what’s right. Book #84 in 2024
GymnasticsFan
Feb 19, 2024
8/10 stars
4.5 stars. Loved it.
GEF
Jan 29, 2024
8/10 stars
The Tobacco Wives was a very quick read. The story line has some interesting twist and turns. It explored the influence of old money VS new money. The main character adds to the the confusing twist', when we are reminded of her age. And yet her age during the period in which this book was written explains a great deal about the ending
Maddieholmes
Aug 28, 2023
7/10 stars
Content warning for abandonment, medical scenarios, manipulation, threats, blackmail, and related topics. I liked pieces of this novel, but other pieces didn't work for me. Mostly, the main character. I didn't buy that she was fifteen, or that she would really have been allowed to take over her aunt's seamstress business. Another thing that didn't work for me was the mystery aspect. I liked what the novel was trying to examine (with corrupt business practices and all that) but through the lens of such an immature character it didn't work fully for me. I liked the setting and the small-town feel that the author developed, and really liked the depth of the secondary characters like Ashley and Mitzy.

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