"The Moonshine Women" | Reviewed by Diane Lick

Michelle Collins Anderson’s, “The Moonshine Women,” is a novel full of beautiful  descriptions—the land, the animals, the people, the scents, and even tastes all come to life with her prose. The story has it all, family drama, romance, adventure, and even a Cinderella moment or two.

The book is set in the early 1900s when most farmers in the Ozarks made moonshine for their own consumption and trading. Grandma Lidy passed down the Strong family recipe to her son Hiram and he in turn has been teaching his daughter “Shine,” how to distill, smell and taste the “heads, hearts, and tails” of the best shine on the mountain and maybe all of the Ozarks.

Shine was born in 1912 after her mother had an accident and fell from the hayloft.  Hiram had always like to sample his product but he drank much more after his wife’s death.   Grandma Lidy moved in to help take care of his three daughters, newborn Shine, 6-year-old Elsie, and the oldest, Rebecca. Seventeen years later, prohibition has taken over the country.  Hiram’s still, like all others, has to be hidden. Federal agents are always looking to bust up the stills and arrest the people involved in this illegal but profitable trade. 

The three sisters are very close to each other. Rebecca, the tomboy, does the lion’s share of the farm work. Elsie, the dreamer, does the lion’s share of the domestic work, and Shine, the spitfire, does her share of the chores but spends the most time with her daddy learning the skills needed to make moonshine.

When the federal agents, Prohis, come to their town they are made aware of the Strong still and its possible location. Normally, the agents don’t carry guns, but this day one does and a tragedy occurs leaving the girls and Grandma Lidy wondering how they will carry on.

Elsie marries her dream “Prince,” Jed, and their hopes rise, believing he will help save them all. Shine wants revenge from the Prohis and sets off the find them. Along the way she and Jed plan to sell their moonshine in Hot Springs Arkansas—the Las Vegas of the day with drinking, gambling, and “girls.” Much more action takes place in the story but to divulge additional details would ruin the thrill of reading this pageturner.

These “Strong” women are true to the Ozark tradition. I grew up in the Ozarks and I know from my own family lore just how strong, both physically and emotionally, a woman had to be to live on an Ozark farm.

Buy the Book.