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  • The Cigar Factory

  • A Novel of Charleston
  • By: Michele Moore
  • Narrated by: Robin Miles
  • Length: 12 hrs and 7 mins
  • 3.0 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)
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The Cigar Factory cover art

The Cigar Factory

By: Michele Moore
Narrated by: Robin Miles
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Summary

"The sun leaned for down bringing shade to the waterfront," begins Michele Moore's entrancing debut novel, harkening back to an era when the legendary fishermen of Charleston's Mosquito Fleet rowed miles offshore for their daily catch.

With evocative dialect and remarkable prose, The Cigar Factory tells the story of two entwined families, both devout Catholics - the white McGonegals and the African American Ravenels - in the storied port city of Charleston, South Carolina, during the World Wars. Moore's novel follows the parallel lives of family matriarchs working on segregated floors of the massive Charleston cigar factory, where white and black workers remain divided and misinformed about the duties and treatment received by each other.

Cassie McGonegal and her niece, Brigid, work upstairs in the factory rolling cigars by hand. Meliah Amey Ravenel works in the basement, where she stems the tobacco. While both white and black workers suffer in the harsh working conditions of the factory and both endure the sexual harassment of the foremen, segregation keeps them from recognizing their common plight until the Tobacco Workers Strike of 1945. Through the experience of a brutal picket line, the two women come to realize how much they stand to gain by joining forces, creating a powerful moment in labor history that gives rise to the civil rights anthem "We Shall Overcome".

Moore's extensive historical research included interviews with her own family members who worked at the cigar factory, adding a layer of nuance and authenticity to her empowering story of families and friendships forged through struggle, loss, and redemption.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2016 Michele Moore (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

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More than interesting

What made the experience of listening to The Cigar Factory the most enjoyable?

The uniqueness of the story.

What did you like best about this story?

All of it!

What about Robin Miles’s performance did you like?

She obviously has a great interest in the subject; her enthusiasm for the characters comes through and her command of the accents and language required is excellent. She also has perfect diction.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The early 1900s seen from a different perspective.

Any additional comments?

The uniqueness of the subject matter opens the listener's thoughts to a whole new universe and what you thought you knew about racism and the inequality of that time might be challenged...

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