The Tobacco Wives

Tobacco production and manufacturing contributed greatly to the economic success of North Carolina. How does Myers tackle that complicated reality alongside the damage tobacco does to people’s health?

Mitzy chooses not to expose Mr. Winston and Dr. Hale during the Gala, but decades later she acknowledges that she almost did. What is the effect of Myers passing over a large temporal gap before this revelation in the Epilogue?

Mr. Winston’s six-pronged advertisement plan is a central part of Bright Leaf Tobacco’s attempt to undermine medical studies. How does this compare to marketing strategies for tobacco today?

When Grace drops Maddie off at Aunt Etta’s without explanation, she later explains she did so because they were in danger of losing their home. Taking this as a starting point, how does the novel represent motherhood?

What lessons about the gender politics of the 1940s does Maddie learn? How is her relationship with David impacted by those lessons from that summer?

Maddie’s father is dead before the novel begins. How does Myers construct him as a character, despite his absence?

Some of the main characters of the novel are members of marginalized groups. How does Myers portray these identities?

To what extent does The Tobacco Wives exhibit verisimilitude, particularly given its historical setting?