It’s no secret that I absolutely love finding new historical fictions, ones that cover a topic that I’ve never had the chance to explore before. When I first stumbled across The Tobacco Wives, it was the cover that caught my eye but I was fully convinced to read it after reading the blurb. The story takes roots from Adele’s own family history in North Carolina where tobacco played a big role in the 1940s. This book also has a very strong feminist narrative. It was women who took over the reins of running many factories while the men were drafted and the novel also covers this aspect.

Our protagonist is a 15 year old girl named Maddie Sykes who has a martyred father and a mother who craves for her own space. And so she is left with her aunt Etta in Bright Leaf. Etta is a talented seamstress and under her tutelage, Maddie also flourishes as one. During her stay in Bright Leaf, Maddie comes across many hurdles including the ones that has been putting everyone at risk. Tobacco was advertised as a medicinal supplement back then and women were told to smoke even during their pregnancies to deliver healthy babies. It doesn’t take long for Maddie to realise the repercussions of this plant and so she is forced to do something about it.

Adele paints a very strong picture of women sustaining their families in the absence of men, at a time when they were still considered to just take care of their homes. She has spun this story around some incredible supporting characters, keeping the essence of the history alive. It was interesting to read about how people were unaware of the true nature of a plant that gave livelihood to lakhs of people, all of them believing that it saved lives. This is certainly an underrated read and if you’re a historical fiction fan, chances are that you may very well enjoy this fast paced book.