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An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lillian Smith, the Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26A revelatory and immersive biography of a white Southern woman who was a key figure in the early civil rights movement, devoting her life to ending segregation in America only to be forgotten by history.
Born in Florida to a religious family, Lillian Smith (1897-1966) was a white Southern woman living in the Jim Crow South who defied all stereotypes: She lived with her lover, Paula, first running a summer camp in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, and then a magazine, devoted to creating a new vision of the South, one that passionately championed equality and integration. Smith published Black and white writers, a rare feat in those days, and herself wrote articles instructing white Southerners on why they shouldn’t support segregation—Smith firmly believed racism hurt white Americans, too. In 1944 she published a bestselling novel, Strange Fruit, which became a national sensation and was banned in Boston and Detroit. The FBI began a file on her, she received death threats, and her house caught fire three times, twice intentionally, resulting in the loss of all her works-in-progress and her correspondence. Undaunted, she continued her ardent fight against segregation, maintaining correspondence with some of the great leaders of her day, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr, W.E.B Dubois, Paul Robeson, and Pauli Murray. She continued to fight for both civil and human rights throughout the 1960s, helping nurture many of the activists in SNCC and CORE, only to succumb to cancer in 1966.
Drawing on previously unpublished archival research, and with a modern appreciation of Smith’s complex identity, AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN is the definitive account of a woman who defied all expectations and dedicated her life to racial equality.
Born in Florida to a religious family, Lillian Smith (1897-1966) was a white Southern woman living in the Jim Crow South who defied all stereotypes: She lived with her lover, Paula, first running a summer camp in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, and then a magazine, devoted to creating a new vision of the South, one that passionately championed equality and integration. Smith published Black and white writers, a rare feat in those days, and herself wrote articles instructing white Southerners on why they shouldn’t support segregation—Smith firmly believed racism hurt white Americans, too. In 1944 she published a bestselling novel, Strange Fruit, which became a national sensation and was banned in Boston and Detroit. The FBI began a file on her, she received death threats, and her house caught fire three times, twice intentionally, resulting in the loss of all her works-in-progress and her correspondence. Undaunted, she continued her ardent fight against segregation, maintaining correspondence with some of the great leaders of her day, including Eleanor Roosevelt, Martin Luther King Jr, W.E.B Dubois, Paul Robeson, and Pauli Murray. She continued to fight for both civil and human rights throughout the 1960s, helping nurture many of the activists in SNCC and CORE, only to succumb to cancer in 1966.
Drawing on previously unpublished archival research, and with a modern appreciation of Smith’s complex identity, AN INCONVENIENT WOMAN is the definitive account of a woman who defied all expectations and dedicated her life to racial equality.
304 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 29, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Keri Leigh Merritt, and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.
As someone with a deep interest in history, politics, and social change, I am always eager to discover figures whose contributions have been overlooked by the broader historical narrative. Keri Leigh Merritt's An Inconvenient Woman shines a much-needed light on Lillian Smith, a woman whose commitment to racial equality and social justice placed her far ahead of her time and often at great personal risk.
Merritt's research is impressive, and her dedication to presenting a comprehensive portrait of Smith is evident throughout the book. She does an admirable job exploring both the public and private aspects of Smith's life, highlighting her activism, literary achievements, and relationships while placing them within the larger context of the Jim Crow South and the early civil rights movement. Readers interested in American history and social reform will find much to appreciate in the wealth of detail provided.
That said, despite recognising the significance of Smith's accomplishments, I struggled to form the connection with the subject that I had hoped for. While the biography is informative and thoughtfully constructed, I often felt more like an observer than an engaged participant in Smith's story. The narrative provides ample historical context and important background, but I found the overall flow somewhat uneven, making it difficult to become fully immersed in the book's emotional core.
There is no question that Lillian Smith lived a remarkable life and deserves greater recognition for her contributions to the fight against segregation and injustice. Merritt succeeds in documenting those achievements with care and scholarship. Unfortunately, the biography never quite resonated with me on the deeper level I was seeking, leaving me admiring Smith's legacy more than feeling personally invested in her journey.
A worthwhile and well-researched biography that will undoubtedly appeal to many readers, even if it ultimately did not leave the lasting impression I had hoped for with such a piece.
Kudos, Madam Merritt, for a valiant effort depicting this early civil rights icon!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
As someone with a deep interest in history, politics, and social change, I am always eager to discover figures whose contributions have been overlooked by the broader historical narrative. Keri Leigh Merritt's An Inconvenient Woman shines a much-needed light on Lillian Smith, a woman whose commitment to racial equality and social justice placed her far ahead of her time and often at great personal risk.
Merritt's research is impressive, and her dedication to presenting a comprehensive portrait of Smith is evident throughout the book. She does an admirable job exploring both the public and private aspects of Smith's life, highlighting her activism, literary achievements, and relationships while placing them within the larger context of the Jim Crow South and the early civil rights movement. Readers interested in American history and social reform will find much to appreciate in the wealth of detail provided.
That said, despite recognising the significance of Smith's accomplishments, I struggled to form the connection with the subject that I had hoped for. While the biography is informative and thoughtfully constructed, I often felt more like an observer than an engaged participant in Smith's story. The narrative provides ample historical context and important background, but I found the overall flow somewhat uneven, making it difficult to become fully immersed in the book's emotional core.
There is no question that Lillian Smith lived a remarkable life and deserves greater recognition for her contributions to the fight against segregation and injustice. Merritt succeeds in documenting those achievements with care and scholarship. Unfortunately, the biography never quite resonated with me on the deeper level I was seeking, leaving me admiring Smith's legacy more than feeling personally invested in her journey.
A worthwhile and well-researched biography that will undoubtedly appeal to many readers, even if it ultimately did not leave the lasting impression I had hoped for with such a piece.
Kudos, Madam Merritt, for a valiant effort depicting this early civil rights icon!
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at: http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
August 5, 2026
For most people who have learned about the history of Jim Crow and the civil rights movement, the term "white Southerners" will conjure images of violence and hatred. But not all Southerners supported segregation, and some brave ones spoke out against it and worked with the more well-known leaders in the movement to fight it. That said, throughout history, the role of women in political movements has always been minimized and, in some cases, even forgotten, so I was not surprised that despite her record of prolific work in support of racial equality and her friendships with such famous names and Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr., I had never heard of Lillian Smith. This biography proved to be an excellent way to rectify that. Lillian Smith spent the entirety of her adult life writing essays, works of social criticism, and novels to advocate for racial equality and to attempt to show that racial discrimination harms whites as well as Blacks. As a queer liberal woman unafraid to share her opinions, she faced backlash and very real physical threats, yet she didn't let anything stop her, and she used what power she had as a white woman to uplift and promote people of color who often faced much worse. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know her and her work a bit, and I am glad that this biography is doing its part to ensure that Smith's story isn't lost to time.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. It will be published on September 29, 2026.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. It will be published on September 29, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I believe I’ve heard of Lillian Smith before, but only as a brief mention amongst more well documented Civil Rights leaders, so Keri Leigh Merritt’s An Inconvenient Woman was an introduction for me to her.
I wonder if she is not better known because she was primarily known for her writing, and some of her more high profile pieces came before the Civil Rights movement really started gaining momentum. Maybe it was because she was a white woman and it was more impactful seeing Black people in public, peacefully protesting.
I think her advocacy for desegregation and equality between races was a crucial factor in the movement, showing that someone not experiencing the overt discrimination and racism wanted to see the end of it for the better good of everyone.
I think she was right in her belief that racism does harm to everyone, not just the people on the receiving end of it. It did seem like she didn’t always fully express that what she saw did more harm to Black people than it did to white people, but that could be purely my interpretation of Merritt’s writing.
At points Smith also seems to view it as a Southern problem and that input or advocacy by people not from the South would not always be appreciated as someone unfamiliar with deep rooted issues. Undeniably the racism and segregation was the worst in the Deep South, and there WERE people who were using getting involved for their own reasons and not to fix a deep rooted issues. But racism and segregation were an issue nationwide and still aren’t gone.
Reading this, I was impressed with Lillian’s passion to live her life as she saw fit, which included being in a relationship with Paula Snelling decades before queer relationships were openly accepted, and saying what she thought, knowing full well that her thoughts were nowhere close to universally shared or accepted.
Despite having viewpoints that are now generally accepted to be right, she did not seem overly open minded to other points of view. This is fair when those views are diametrically opposed, but probably did her a disservice in other circumstances. She was not always kind to her partner Paula, who she relied on heavily to be a calming and steady presence in her life. And for someone so steadfast and confident in her beliefs she could be remarkably thin skinned and desirous of public approval.
I admire Lillian Smith for standing up for what she knew to be right, but I felt like despite her being a firebrand, the book felt dry, and while it probably presented her pretty accurately, it wasn’t always flattering. There were points where it got too in the weeds about each of her books, and despite Merritt arguing that a previous biography about Smith jumped around in time, she periodically does it as well in this book.
The book is heavily cited, giving no doubt to the credibility of the content, but I think this also causes the book to drag in ways that a more narrative biography would not.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I wonder if she is not better known because she was primarily known for her writing, and some of her more high profile pieces came before the Civil Rights movement really started gaining momentum. Maybe it was because she was a white woman and it was more impactful seeing Black people in public, peacefully protesting.
I think her advocacy for desegregation and equality between races was a crucial factor in the movement, showing that someone not experiencing the overt discrimination and racism wanted to see the end of it for the better good of everyone.
I think she was right in her belief that racism does harm to everyone, not just the people on the receiving end of it. It did seem like she didn’t always fully express that what she saw did more harm to Black people than it did to white people, but that could be purely my interpretation of Merritt’s writing.
At points Smith also seems to view it as a Southern problem and that input or advocacy by people not from the South would not always be appreciated as someone unfamiliar with deep rooted issues. Undeniably the racism and segregation was the worst in the Deep South, and there WERE people who were using getting involved for their own reasons and not to fix a deep rooted issues. But racism and segregation were an issue nationwide and still aren’t gone.
Reading this, I was impressed with Lillian’s passion to live her life as she saw fit, which included being in a relationship with Paula Snelling decades before queer relationships were openly accepted, and saying what she thought, knowing full well that her thoughts were nowhere close to universally shared or accepted.
Despite having viewpoints that are now generally accepted to be right, she did not seem overly open minded to other points of view. This is fair when those views are diametrically opposed, but probably did her a disservice in other circumstances. She was not always kind to her partner Paula, who she relied on heavily to be a calming and steady presence in her life. And for someone so steadfast and confident in her beliefs she could be remarkably thin skinned and desirous of public approval.
I admire Lillian Smith for standing up for what she knew to be right, but I felt like despite her being a firebrand, the book felt dry, and while it probably presented her pretty accurately, it wasn’t always flattering. There were points where it got too in the weeds about each of her books, and despite Merritt arguing that a previous biography about Smith jumped around in time, she periodically does it as well in this book.
The book is heavily cited, giving no doubt to the credibility of the content, but I think this also causes the book to drag in ways that a more narrative biography would not.
A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An Inconvenient Womanby Keri Keri Leigh Merritt
When one studies American history and the Civil Rights Movement, one does not hear the name Lillian Smith. Born in 1897 to an upper middle-class Southern family, Lil, as she was known, was the seventh of nine children. Her mother is described as distant, and she was raised mainly by Black women who were the family’s help. After her father’s business went sour, the family moved from Florida to the mountains of Georgia, where they operated a summer camp. As a young adult, Lil studied music and pursued teaching; she later returned home to manage a hotel and teach. She also spent time in China.
During her time running the camp, Lil began a relationship with a woman named Paula Snelling. This became a lifelong commitment. Although the pair remained basically closeted throughout their lives, their relationship was not entirely secret. When Lil dove into her writing and began publishing a small quarterly magazine, "Pseudopodia", Paula was her assistant, a role which she maintained throughout her lifetime. The periodical encouraged writers, white and Black, to submit articles about society and ideas for social reform.
Lillian was deeply committed to civil rights. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King. Smith’s novel Strange Fruit, about an interracial relationship, became a best seller. Her book, Killers of the Dream, was a collection of essays that challenged the Old South’s Jim Crow laws, segregation, and ways of treating women and children as well. It was not well received at the time. Nevertheless, she continued to write and to speak out.
While I found this biography to be quite fascinating and enlightening, I also found the chapters to be quite long. There is so much information to take in that I could usually read only one chapter at a time.
What a fascinating, courageous woman! Lillian and Paula endured so much! One can only imagine receiving threatening phone calls, having their home and belongings, including one's life’s work, destroyed by arsonists! And not one or two, but seven bouts with cancer! Yet, she persisted until the very end! How is it that she has remained such an unknown?
4.5 stars rounded up
I received an ARC copy of An Inconvenient Woman. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. My opinions are my own.
When one studies American history and the Civil Rights Movement, one does not hear the name Lillian Smith. Born in 1897 to an upper middle-class Southern family, Lil, as she was known, was the seventh of nine children. Her mother is described as distant, and she was raised mainly by Black women who were the family’s help. After her father’s business went sour, the family moved from Florida to the mountains of Georgia, where they operated a summer camp. As a young adult, Lil studied music and pursued teaching; she later returned home to manage a hotel and teach. She also spent time in China.
During her time running the camp, Lil began a relationship with a woman named Paula Snelling. This became a lifelong commitment. Although the pair remained basically closeted throughout their lives, their relationship was not entirely secret. When Lil dove into her writing and began publishing a small quarterly magazine, "Pseudopodia", Paula was her assistant, a role which she maintained throughout her lifetime. The periodical encouraged writers, white and Black, to submit articles about society and ideas for social reform.
Lillian was deeply committed to civil rights. She became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King. Smith’s novel Strange Fruit, about an interracial relationship, became a best seller. Her book, Killers of the Dream, was a collection of essays that challenged the Old South’s Jim Crow laws, segregation, and ways of treating women and children as well. It was not well received at the time. Nevertheless, she continued to write and to speak out.
While I found this biography to be quite fascinating and enlightening, I also found the chapters to be quite long. There is so much information to take in that I could usually read only one chapter at a time.
What a fascinating, courageous woman! Lillian and Paula endured so much! One can only imagine receiving threatening phone calls, having their home and belongings, including one's life’s work, destroyed by arsonists! And not one or two, but seven bouts with cancer! Yet, she persisted until the very end! How is it that she has remained such an unknown?
4.5 stars rounded up
I received an ARC copy of An Inconvenient Woman. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. My opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Keri Leigh Merritt (author), and Netgalley for the digital review copy of An Inconvenient Woman. Their generosity did not influence my review.
Inconvenient to whom, exactly? To everyone, depending on your definition.
To be inconvenient is to cause trouble, difficulty, or annoyance. Insects are inconvenient, but did she annoyingly buzz around like a fly? Or did she destroy foundations like a termite? The rest of the title refers to her defiance of privilege, and that is also a strong word meaning to boldly resist or stand strong against. Keri Leigh Merritt’s biography of Lillian Smith shows a woman who spent her life doing both—providing a masterclass in all the ways Lillian became an inconvenience to others who tried to deny racial equality.
Privilege isn’t just about money and race; it can also be having a supportive family baseline that lets you break from social and religious dogma without completely flapping in the wind. As an educated, wealthy Southern white woman, Smith had every door open to her. Instead of using that upbringing to become a celebrated "leader" who demanded the spotlight, she chose to be a public servant. She brought her name, money, and influence to causes led by Black activists, never trying to take over their efforts. The Civil Rights movement was not about her, and she didn't care if history books remembered her name.
I keep imagining her standing on a soapbox, shouting at the top of her lungs to draw every hostile eye in the South directly to her, while Black men and women snuck by safe and undetected.
That level of agitation came with a constant threat of death. Living as a non-believing, anti-racist lesbian in the Jim Crow South meant living in perpetual danger. Yet Smith never opted for an easier path. Even during her final months while fighting unrelenting cancer, she spent her energy reminding friends of their own individual power to change the world in small ways.
If there is a flaw here, it’s that the book feels textbook-ish, much like a detailed, well-researched Wikipedia entry. There is a lot to learn and admire, but not much to connect with. Yet, the author’s hands were largely tied when trying to foster that connection for readers. Smith didn't leave behind intimate, tell-all diaries for safety reasons. You cannot look into her private inner thoughts because she couldn't afford to record them. In protecting her partner and her work, she inadvertently backshelved her own personal interiority so that others could be pushed forward.
The choice of an academic biography over historical speculation does not give a warm, intimate life story. It informs far more than it deeply moves, but it remains a vital, necessary, factual reference for a forgotten influencer who always spotlighted the issues rather than herself. 4.25 stars
Inconvenient to whom, exactly? To everyone, depending on your definition.
To be inconvenient is to cause trouble, difficulty, or annoyance. Insects are inconvenient, but did she annoyingly buzz around like a fly? Or did she destroy foundations like a termite? The rest of the title refers to her defiance of privilege, and that is also a strong word meaning to boldly resist or stand strong against. Keri Leigh Merritt’s biography of Lillian Smith shows a woman who spent her life doing both—providing a masterclass in all the ways Lillian became an inconvenience to others who tried to deny racial equality.
Privilege isn’t just about money and race; it can also be having a supportive family baseline that lets you break from social and religious dogma without completely flapping in the wind. As an educated, wealthy Southern white woman, Smith had every door open to her. Instead of using that upbringing to become a celebrated "leader" who demanded the spotlight, she chose to be a public servant. She brought her name, money, and influence to causes led by Black activists, never trying to take over their efforts. The Civil Rights movement was not about her, and she didn't care if history books remembered her name.
I keep imagining her standing on a soapbox, shouting at the top of her lungs to draw every hostile eye in the South directly to her, while Black men and women snuck by safe and undetected.
That level of agitation came with a constant threat of death. Living as a non-believing, anti-racist lesbian in the Jim Crow South meant living in perpetual danger. Yet Smith never opted for an easier path. Even during her final months while fighting unrelenting cancer, she spent her energy reminding friends of their own individual power to change the world in small ways.
If there is a flaw here, it’s that the book feels textbook-ish, much like a detailed, well-researched Wikipedia entry. There is a lot to learn and admire, but not much to connect with. Yet, the author’s hands were largely tied when trying to foster that connection for readers. Smith didn't leave behind intimate, tell-all diaries for safety reasons. You cannot look into her private inner thoughts because she couldn't afford to record them. In protecting her partner and her work, she inadvertently backshelved her own personal interiority so that others could be pushed forward.
The choice of an academic biography over historical speculation does not give a warm, intimate life story. It informs far more than it deeply moves, but it remains a vital, necessary, factual reference for a forgotten influencer who always spotlighted the issues rather than herself. 4.25 stars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Focusing on Southern whites who abhorred treatment of blacks, this book brings to light a fierce white woman, Lillian Smith, who spoke out against injustices, sought to build bridges and imagine a better future for this country.
Smith was born near the end of the 19th C and lived into the Civil Rights era, growing up at a time when the South was in the midst of Jim Crow. As a result she experienced a life in the elite white Southern society of that time. So one of the more interesting things about Lillian Smith were her writings on the theme of Black women raising white children which “became on of the pillars of her psychological critiques of the white South.” She believed this mother substitution explained much about “Southern dysfunction, from sexual repression to identity confusion to a specific type of self-loathing that manifested as hatred against others.” A traumatic story of a white girl taken from a black family moved into town to live with Lillian’s family only to be taken to an orphanage once it was learned the girl was black made her realize as she wrote “I began to see that in trying to shut the Negro race away from us, we have shut ourselves from the good, the creative, the human in life.” After a period of three years in China, she went to write for the Chicago Defender, one of the most popular Black newspaper in the country. She also had to keep her love for Paula Snelling a secret.
There is so much more to this amazing woman’s life. She became an inspiration for many such as the writer Pat Conroy who pointed out Lillian’s “high moral and ethical standards.” After you read about her life you know what a real humanitarian should be. She was in the car with MLK when he was arrested for violation of his parole - this isn’t mentioned in the history books because of the horrible social faux pas of a Black man riding with a white woman. But that’s how Lillian lived - fearless and proud. Her Civil Rights activism rightly should be remembered but he concern for all others should be as well. In her 1961 interview with Studs Terkel he asked her as he asked all he interviewed “who are you?” She replied: “A questioner” which shocked Terkel who conceded that was the best answer he’d ever heard.
Indeed, this biography shows how one Southern woman’s questioning could affect history which is in part why I gave this book five stars. Other reasons for a five star rating include having a biography published in this time of DEI that praises people who choose to point about the benefits of giving opportunities to those different from us. And basically biographies that bring back to life people history may have overlooked in a time where people want to erase so much of our history is important.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this wonderful ARC.
Smith was born near the end of the 19th C and lived into the Civil Rights era, growing up at a time when the South was in the midst of Jim Crow. As a result she experienced a life in the elite white Southern society of that time. So one of the more interesting things about Lillian Smith were her writings on the theme of Black women raising white children which “became on of the pillars of her psychological critiques of the white South.” She believed this mother substitution explained much about “Southern dysfunction, from sexual repression to identity confusion to a specific type of self-loathing that manifested as hatred against others.” A traumatic story of a white girl taken from a black family moved into town to live with Lillian’s family only to be taken to an orphanage once it was learned the girl was black made her realize as she wrote “I began to see that in trying to shut the Negro race away from us, we have shut ourselves from the good, the creative, the human in life.” After a period of three years in China, she went to write for the Chicago Defender, one of the most popular Black newspaper in the country. She also had to keep her love for Paula Snelling a secret.
There is so much more to this amazing woman’s life. She became an inspiration for many such as the writer Pat Conroy who pointed out Lillian’s “high moral and ethical standards.” After you read about her life you know what a real humanitarian should be. She was in the car with MLK when he was arrested for violation of his parole - this isn’t mentioned in the history books because of the horrible social faux pas of a Black man riding with a white woman. But that’s how Lillian lived - fearless and proud. Her Civil Rights activism rightly should be remembered but he concern for all others should be as well. In her 1961 interview with Studs Terkel he asked her as he asked all he interviewed “who are you?” She replied: “A questioner” which shocked Terkel who conceded that was the best answer he’d ever heard.
Indeed, this biography shows how one Southern woman’s questioning could affect history which is in part why I gave this book five stars. Other reasons for a five star rating include having a biography published in this time of DEI that praises people who choose to point about the benefits of giving opportunities to those different from us. And basically biographies that bring back to life people history may have overlooked in a time where people want to erase so much of our history is important.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for granting me access to this wonderful ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Probably 3.5 stars Thanks to netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own. This is a book that tells the history and story of a woman I’ve never heard of-friends with people like Martin Luther King, Jr, a white woman who worked tirelessly to end segregation, and an acclaimed author-what a shame I didn’t know her story until now! I was truly intrigued when I read this description and the beginning of the novel. She made an important impact in history and the literary world and is an amazing example of an early LGBTQ person kicking some butt, even if much of that part of her life was not as public at the time. While I’m glad I read it and feel this info about her is so important, there were some concerns I had about the novel itself, which is why I took off some stars. First, the chapters were very long and sometimes hard to find good pausing points. The order of the information itself was confusing-I’d be reading where it referenced her novel Strange Fruit, then shorty, after, sometimes in the same chapter, it would go back to before the book was published. I felt like it would have been easier to read if it focused in time order. It would also focus on her personal life then jump to civil rights then jump to her writing-I had a hard time keeping things straight and knowing when in her life things were occurring. I wanted more info about civil rights work to be honest, but I had to slog through lots of personal quotes and details about her sexuality or personal life to get there. I get that was a focus and important, but I think I would get interested in a topic and then lose it. It made me take some breaks and go to another book to build myself up to come back. There was a lot of talk of the fires but no details until later on. The ending and last chapter was probably the clearest and most chronological one. Also, I added her one first big novel to my to-read list and then removed it shortly after because there was such a detailed summary of it there was really no need to read it because all the twist were spoiled! Lastly, this is a petty complaint, but the term “overstated” was used a lot as in, “the influence of blah blah can’t be overstated.” Well, the term overstated sure can. Overall, valuable info and story but just needed some organization and better worrying/editing for the masses, I think.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lillian Smith, was at her core, a great humanitarian. from An Inconvenient Woman by Keri Leigh Merritt
I first read about Lillian Smith when I was designing my quilt for women leaders in abolition and Civil Rights. When I saw this new biography, I knew I had to read it and learn more about Smith.
Like so many other amazing women, Smith has been eclipsed by history’s concentration on the achievements of men. Perhaps she is remembered because Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested because Smith, a white woman, was in his car.
A Southern white woman whose family wealth was built on enslavement, Smith was “an avowed enemy of white supremacy,” as Merritt writes, using her pen and her voice and money in support of equality. She was a dedicated pacifist.
Her novel Strange Fruit was banned in the South. Her nonfiction Killers of the Dream was a radical dissection of the roots of Southern racism.
We need to learn to think of the Negro as human; we need ourselves to become human.” Lillian Smith quoted in An Inconvenient Woman
Smith also challenged other norms. Her life partner Paula believed Smith was bisexual and her novels included lesbian relationships.
From running a progressive summer camp, to starting a new literary magazine, to writing startling books, Smith was driven to make a difference. She was championed by Eleanor Roosevelt and was friends with Pauli Murry.
Her last decade was besieged with losses and challenges. She underwent numerous operations for cancer; without insurance she struggled with medical debt. Her home was targeted by arsonists, and two children thoughtlessly caused a fire that destroyed important papers and work sin progress. As the main breadwinner, she needed to provide for Paula to outlive her.
Smith believed that violence and anger was a double edged sword, harming the hater and victim equally. She warned against demagogues who “fatten on the poor man’s vote and his loneliness.” She called for new paradigms of thinking about the world.
In an interview with Studs Terkel he asked “Who are you?” and she answered “A questioner.”
What an amazing role model! We must continually question why and imagine new ways of living. We should never accept injustice. We should never let setbacks and rejection prevent us from our goals.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
I first read about Lillian Smith when I was designing my quilt for women leaders in abolition and Civil Rights. When I saw this new biography, I knew I had to read it and learn more about Smith.
Like so many other amazing women, Smith has been eclipsed by history’s concentration on the achievements of men. Perhaps she is remembered because Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested because Smith, a white woman, was in his car.
A Southern white woman whose family wealth was built on enslavement, Smith was “an avowed enemy of white supremacy,” as Merritt writes, using her pen and her voice and money in support of equality. She was a dedicated pacifist.
Her novel Strange Fruit was banned in the South. Her nonfiction Killers of the Dream was a radical dissection of the roots of Southern racism.
We need to learn to think of the Negro as human; we need ourselves to become human.” Lillian Smith quoted in An Inconvenient Woman
Smith also challenged other norms. Her life partner Paula believed Smith was bisexual and her novels included lesbian relationships.
From running a progressive summer camp, to starting a new literary magazine, to writing startling books, Smith was driven to make a difference. She was championed by Eleanor Roosevelt and was friends with Pauli Murry.
Her last decade was besieged with losses and challenges. She underwent numerous operations for cancer; without insurance she struggled with medical debt. Her home was targeted by arsonists, and two children thoughtlessly caused a fire that destroyed important papers and work sin progress. As the main breadwinner, she needed to provide for Paula to outlive her.
Smith believed that violence and anger was a double edged sword, harming the hater and victim equally. She warned against demagogues who “fatten on the poor man’s vote and his loneliness.” She called for new paradigms of thinking about the world.
In an interview with Studs Terkel he asked “Who are you?” and she answered “A questioner.”
What an amazing role model! We must continually question why and imagine new ways of living. We should never accept injustice. We should never let setbacks and rejection prevent us from our goals.
Thanks to St. Martin’s Press for a free book through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is an inspiring, eye opening biography that delivers a remarkable and long overlooked trailblazer from the shadows of American history.
Lillian Smith was a white Southern woman from a religious Florida family, who courageously defied the Jim Crow South with bold integrity. She lived openly with her devoted partner Paula, ran a progressive summer camp in the Appalachian foothills, edited a visionary magazine that amplified black and white voices, and wielded her pen as a powerful force against segregation. Her 1944 bestselling novel Strange Fruit (distinct from the Billie Holiday song) ignited national controversy and marked her as a rare white Southern voice demanding full equality.
Ms Merritt vividly portrays Lillian’s contradictions, courage, and intellectual depth. More than an activist, Lillian offered transformative insights, arguing that racism harmed everyone, including white Southerners trapped in fear and repression. She connected with luminaries like Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr, mentored SNCC and CORE activists, and faced immense challenges with remarkable resilience, emerging as a beacon of moral clarity.
Written with vibrant energy, deep empathy, and fresh archival insight, the book beautifully balances the personal and political illuminating Lillian’s quiet strength, intellectual fire, and loving partnership with Paula, while celebrating her identity as a lesbian Southerner who bravely challenged multiple taboos.
Immersive and novel-like, this uplifting bio reveals why Lillian’s powerful ideas on fear, repression, and radical honesty about race continue to inspire and resonate today. In an era craving authentic voices, Lillian Smith stands gloriously inconvenient and profoundly necessary.
It’s enlightening and captivating.
**I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#ARC
#AnInconvenientWoman
#KeriLeighMerritt
#StMartinsPress
Lillian Smith was a white Southern woman from a religious Florida family, who courageously defied the Jim Crow South with bold integrity. She lived openly with her devoted partner Paula, ran a progressive summer camp in the Appalachian foothills, edited a visionary magazine that amplified black and white voices, and wielded her pen as a powerful force against segregation. Her 1944 bestselling novel Strange Fruit (distinct from the Billie Holiday song) ignited national controversy and marked her as a rare white Southern voice demanding full equality.
Ms Merritt vividly portrays Lillian’s contradictions, courage, and intellectual depth. More than an activist, Lillian offered transformative insights, arguing that racism harmed everyone, including white Southerners trapped in fear and repression. She connected with luminaries like Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr, mentored SNCC and CORE activists, and faced immense challenges with remarkable resilience, emerging as a beacon of moral clarity.
Written with vibrant energy, deep empathy, and fresh archival insight, the book beautifully balances the personal and political illuminating Lillian’s quiet strength, intellectual fire, and loving partnership with Paula, while celebrating her identity as a lesbian Southerner who bravely challenged multiple taboos.
Immersive and novel-like, this uplifting bio reveals why Lillian’s powerful ideas on fear, repression, and radical honesty about race continue to inspire and resonate today. In an era craving authentic voices, Lillian Smith stands gloriously inconvenient and profoundly necessary.
It’s enlightening and captivating.
**I would like to express my gratitude to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
#ARC
#AnInconvenientWoman
#KeriLeighMerritt
#StMartinsPress
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lillian Smith, the Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America is a biography of writer, activist, and social critic Lillian Smith, whose life challenged the racial, social, and cultural norms of the twentieth-century American South. Born into a white Southern family, Smith rejected the ideology of segregation that surrounded her from childhood and became one of the region's most outspoken advocates for racial equality. Alongside her lifelong companion, Paula Snelling, she operated a progressive summer camp and later edited a literary magazine that promoted dialogue about race, justice, and Southern identity. Smith also published works that criticized segregation and explored the moral and psychological consequences of racism for both Black and white Americans.
Keri Leigh Merritt traces Smith's personal journey alongside the broader history of Jim Crow, demonstrating how Smith's convictions brought both admiration and intense opposition. Her bestselling novel Strange Fruit challenged prevailing racial attitudes and provoked censorship, public controversy, and government scrutiny. Throughout her career, Smith endured threats, harassment, and significant personal loss, yet she remained committed to advocating for civil rights and social reform. The biography argues that Smith's influence has been overshadowed despite her important contributions to the early civil rights movement. By placing her life within the larger context of Southern history, Merritt presents Smith as a courageous and visionary figure whose writings and activism helped prepare the way for later struggles against segregation and racial injustice.
#aninconvenientwoman #netgalley #stmartinspress
Keri Leigh Merritt traces Smith's personal journey alongside the broader history of Jim Crow, demonstrating how Smith's convictions brought both admiration and intense opposition. Her bestselling novel Strange Fruit challenged prevailing racial attitudes and provoked censorship, public controversy, and government scrutiny. Throughout her career, Smith endured threats, harassment, and significant personal loss, yet she remained committed to advocating for civil rights and social reform. The biography argues that Smith's influence has been overshadowed despite her important contributions to the early civil rights movement. By placing her life within the larger context of Southern history, Merritt presents Smith as a courageous and visionary figure whose writings and activism helped prepare the way for later struggles against segregation and racial injustice.
#aninconvenientwoman #netgalley #stmartinspress
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I very much enjoyed this book! I knew nothing about Lillian Smith and her contributions to the civil rights era. It was interesting seeing how she was brought up and how that shaped her beliefs. The fact that she was a relatively open lesbian in an era where that was not accepted was interesting. Of course, she lived in a small town where everyone already knew and accepted her, but still, I appreciated how the book didn't make her partner Paula Snelling a footnote to the story, but instead a fully developed character.
Lillian certainly knew how to toot her own horn, and I got the idea that she sometimes overrepresented her role in the civil rights movement. I didn't much like her, but I appreciated that she hosted interracial salons and wrote her mind. The magazine that she and Paula started was likely groundbreaking in Georgia for representing the work of Black and white writers, and her thoughs on civil right actions were doubtless controversial. It's no wonder she was targeted but a small miracle that there weren't greater consequences. I think the fact that she was a white woman who came from a privileged background helped, and her brother's role in local politics also helped.
I'll pick up her book Strange Fruit and see what that's about . I don't believe her when she said that she wasn't thinking of the Billie Holliday song at all, that she came up with that all on her own. This smacks of another piece of self-aggrandizement. I wonder if the author felt similarly, since she uses the words bragged several times.
I will look for other work from Keri Leigh Merritt!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. It will be published on September 29, 2026.
Lillian certainly knew how to toot her own horn, and I got the idea that she sometimes overrepresented her role in the civil rights movement. I didn't much like her, but I appreciated that she hosted interracial salons and wrote her mind. The magazine that she and Paula started was likely groundbreaking in Georgia for representing the work of Black and white writers, and her thoughs on civil right actions were doubtless controversial. It's no wonder she was targeted but a small miracle that there weren't greater consequences. I think the fact that she was a white woman who came from a privileged background helped, and her brother's role in local politics also helped.
I'll pick up her book Strange Fruit and see what that's about . I don't believe her when she said that she wasn't thinking of the Billie Holliday song at all, that she came up with that all on her own. This smacks of another piece of self-aggrandizement. I wonder if the author felt similarly, since she uses the words bragged several times.
I will look for other work from Keri Leigh Merritt!
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review. It will be published on September 29, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
For most, I'd venture to say that the name Lillian Smith is unrecognized.
Yet, her impact was profound.
"An Inconvenient Woman" is the biography of Smith, an acclaimed writer and activist who was a key figure in the early civil rights moment. Smith, who passed away in 1966, was a white Southern woman living in the Jim Crow South who seemed to never meet a stereotype she wouldn't defy. Living the majority of her adult life with longtime partner Paula, Lillian Smith devoted her life to ending segregation in America and yet is seldom recognized for her efforts.
Far before her views were remotely acceptable, Smith worked toward integration and equality. She herself published both Black and white writers, and she paid the price many times for her essays and books speaking out against segregation. Her 1944 novel "Strange Fruit" was a controversial bestseller, banned in some states and leading to the FBI starting a file on her.
Still, she persevered. Such familiar names as Eleanor Rooselvelt, Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Dubois, Paul Robeson and others would become part of her circle.
"An Inconvenient Woman" brings to life Smith's life thanks to extensive, and previously unpublished, archival research and historical documents along with reminders of her remarkable, trailblazing writing.
Easily one of the more unsung voices of the civil rights movement, Lillian Smith's fierce dedication is given its due with this biography from Keri Leigh Merritt.
Yet, her impact was profound.
"An Inconvenient Woman" is the biography of Smith, an acclaimed writer and activist who was a key figure in the early civil rights moment. Smith, who passed away in 1966, was a white Southern woman living in the Jim Crow South who seemed to never meet a stereotype she wouldn't defy. Living the majority of her adult life with longtime partner Paula, Lillian Smith devoted her life to ending segregation in America and yet is seldom recognized for her efforts.
Far before her views were remotely acceptable, Smith worked toward integration and equality. She herself published both Black and white writers, and she paid the price many times for her essays and books speaking out against segregation. Her 1944 novel "Strange Fruit" was a controversial bestseller, banned in some states and leading to the FBI starting a file on her.
Still, she persevered. Such familiar names as Eleanor Rooselvelt, Martin Luther King Jr., W.E.B. Dubois, Paul Robeson and others would become part of her circle.
"An Inconvenient Woman" brings to life Smith's life thanks to extensive, and previously unpublished, archival research and historical documents along with reminders of her remarkable, trailblazing writing.
Easily one of the more unsung voices of the civil rights movement, Lillian Smith's fierce dedication is given its due with this biography from Keri Leigh Merritt.
Did Not Finish
September 15, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the opportunity to read an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I DNF'd this book at around the 25% mark. I had surprisingly never heard of Lillian Smith and so was interested in learning more about her life (generally) and the impact of the revolutionary ideas that she championed far before her time. I had no idea that within these pages, I would also find a sapphic love story, which was one of the primary reasons that I continued reading. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get past some of my issues with the way that this book is structured. I personally prefer memoirs or biographies that are told in more of a linear, narrative style. This book is divided up based on era or achievement (rather than divided up chronologically), which for me felt hard to follow. I was having a very difficult time forming an idea of who Lillian was as a whole, complete person when looking at her through the lens of particular 20-year periods of her life. This book is extraordinarily well cited, which is incredible, but does make the pacing feel a bit slow and uneven at times. I genuinely think that there is an audience who will love this -- this one just wasn't for me. If you enjoy longer chapters, non-linear timelines, beautiful (and clear) writing, and a more academic tone, I think you may really enjoy this one!
I DNF'd this book at around the 25% mark. I had surprisingly never heard of Lillian Smith and so was interested in learning more about her life (generally) and the impact of the revolutionary ideas that she championed far before her time. I had no idea that within these pages, I would also find a sapphic love story, which was one of the primary reasons that I continued reading. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get past some of my issues with the way that this book is structured. I personally prefer memoirs or biographies that are told in more of a linear, narrative style. This book is divided up based on era or achievement (rather than divided up chronologically), which for me felt hard to follow. I was having a very difficult time forming an idea of who Lillian was as a whole, complete person when looking at her through the lens of particular 20-year periods of her life. This book is extraordinarily well cited, which is incredible, but does make the pacing feel a bit slow and uneven at times. I genuinely think that there is an audience who will love this -- this one just wasn't for me. If you enjoy longer chapters, non-linear timelines, beautiful (and clear) writing, and a more academic tone, I think you may really enjoy this one!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Before reading An Inconvenient Woman, I had never heard of Lillian Smith. By the time I finished the book, I was left wondering why she isn't more widely known.
I was fascinated by Smith's influence on racial equality and her remarkable insights into racism, white privilege, and the role fear plays in sustaining prejudice. What impressed me most was her ability, as a white Southern woman, to recognize and articulate complexities that many people still struggle to understand today.
I also deeply admired her courage. Despite threats, harassment, and repeated attempts by white supremacists to intimidate her, she refused to be silenced. Time and again, she faced adversity and simply kept going. Equally inspiring was her determination in fighting breast cancer for more than a decade while continuing to write, speak, and advocate for change.
What has stayed with me most since finishing the book is the question of what Lillian Smith would think of today's world. While society has undoubtedly changed since her time, many of the issues she challenged remain with us. I suspect she would be disappointed by how much work remains unfinished, but I also think her voice would still be a powerful force for change.
This biography introduced me to a remarkable woman whose courage, conviction, and willingness to challenge the status quo left a lasting impression on me.
I was fascinated by Smith's influence on racial equality and her remarkable insights into racism, white privilege, and the role fear plays in sustaining prejudice. What impressed me most was her ability, as a white Southern woman, to recognize and articulate complexities that many people still struggle to understand today.
I also deeply admired her courage. Despite threats, harassment, and repeated attempts by white supremacists to intimidate her, she refused to be silenced. Time and again, she faced adversity and simply kept going. Equally inspiring was her determination in fighting breast cancer for more than a decade while continuing to write, speak, and advocate for change.
What has stayed with me most since finishing the book is the question of what Lillian Smith would think of today's world. While society has undoubtedly changed since her time, many of the issues she challenged remain with us. I suspect she would be disappointed by how much work remains unfinished, but I also think her voice would still be a powerful force for change.
This biography introduced me to a remarkable woman whose courage, conviction, and willingness to challenge the status quo left a lasting impression on me.
September 3, 2026
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.
“An Inconvenient Woman” is by Keri Leigh Merritt. I’d never heard of Lillian Smith, but her story sounded like a very interesting read. I found the research Ms. Merritt did to be very impressive. The book explored both the public and private - highlighting her writing and activism while dealing with the attitude in the US South at that time. I think if one is interested in Jim Crow Laws and social reform, they’ll appreciate the historical work Ms. Merritt has done. However, while the historical work was great, this book is not perfect. Part of this, I think, is that the writing felt dense and also a bit out of order (a chapter might start with one thing, segue to another that happened in the past, then jump to the future) and it took some puzzling out. Additionally I found the chapters at times overly long. Additionally, and this is a me thing, I was really more interested in Ms. Smith’s advocacy and wanted to read/learn more about that. At times it felt like that took a back seat to the author explaining Ms. Smith’s writing and sexuality - both were interesting, but I wish that the advocacy had been a bit more at the forefront.
“An Inconvenient Woman” is by Keri Leigh Merritt. I’d never heard of Lillian Smith, but her story sounded like a very interesting read. I found the research Ms. Merritt did to be very impressive. The book explored both the public and private - highlighting her writing and activism while dealing with the attitude in the US South at that time. I think if one is interested in Jim Crow Laws and social reform, they’ll appreciate the historical work Ms. Merritt has done. However, while the historical work was great, this book is not perfect. Part of this, I think, is that the writing felt dense and also a bit out of order (a chapter might start with one thing, segue to another that happened in the past, then jump to the future) and it took some puzzling out. Additionally I found the chapters at times overly long. Additionally, and this is a me thing, I was really more interested in Ms. Smith’s advocacy and wanted to read/learn more about that. At times it felt like that took a back seat to the author explaining Ms. Smith’s writing and sexuality - both were interesting, but I wish that the advocacy had been a bit more at the forefront.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received this book in a goodreads giveaway - as an advanced reader copy prior to publishing. I was really excited and looking forward to read about a woman who by all accounts led a fascinating life, with ideals way above the point in time in which she lived. So many women involved in history have been written out of it in more recent years, and the idea of discovering a thrilling new female activist was exciting. I certainly never learned anything about Lilian in history class in school when they were discussing integration in the south.
Unfortunately no matter how many times I picked this book up and started re-reading what I had previously read I was unable to finish this book.
The writing was very dry (bordering on pedantic/methodical - almost on an academic textbook level) and I was unable to engage with Lillian as a person, as an activist or as a woman. Based on what I was able to finish it appears as though she suffered great emotional distress due to her beliefs. While I wasn't seeking anything dramatic or salacious - I was hopeful for warmth and engagement and connection. This book did not provide that for me.
Unfortunately no matter how many times I picked this book up and started re-reading what I had previously read I was unable to finish this book.
The writing was very dry (bordering on pedantic/methodical - almost on an academic textbook level) and I was unable to engage with Lillian as a person, as an activist or as a woman. Based on what I was able to finish it appears as though she suffered great emotional distress due to her beliefs. While I wasn't seeking anything dramatic or salacious - I was hopeful for warmth and engagement and connection. This book did not provide that for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lillian Smith was a white woman who grew up in the segregated south. She is a forgotten woman in history who played a role in the early civil rights movement. From running a summer camp to publishing a magazine to living with her girlfriend to writing about politics, her life's work revolved around supporting the causes she firmly believed in. Lil worked tirelessly to alleviate segregation and racism and to promote civil rights and human rights for all.
I had not heard about Lillian Smith before reading this book. Her life is fascinating! She bravely stood behind her values and spoke, wrote, and taught others in an effort to change hearts and lives.
I do wish the content in the book was not so redundant. The author mentions several key impacts of Lil's life throughout the book, and I wished for a truly chronological view.
The book is well-researched and generally easy to read. It tells the story of an important figure in history we will do well to remember.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of the ebook.
I had not heard about Lillian Smith before reading this book. Her life is fascinating! She bravely stood behind her values and spoke, wrote, and taught others in an effort to change hearts and lives.
I do wish the content in the book was not so redundant. The author mentions several key impacts of Lil's life throughout the book, and I wished for a truly chronological view.
The book is well-researched and generally easy to read. It tells the story of an important figure in history we will do well to remember.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy of the ebook.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Although pedantic at times, this book provides great insight into the life of Lillian Smith, who I admit I'd never heard of before winning this book. Meticulously researched and annotated, you learn not only Ms. Smith's history, but also more than a simple glimpse into the events that led her to become who she was, that led to her lifelong fight for equality.
I do have some quibbles with the book e.g. 1) the terms white supremacy and racism are frequently used interchangeably, but they have much different meanings or that, 2) the author at times strays from the telling to inject her owns beliefs, telling us that this or that theory of Ms. Smith is true (theory, not facts).
Overall, a fascinating tale of a woman who as a young person saw the illogicality of racism and devoted much of her life to fighting it (non-violently) and educating others about its ill effects on everyone.
I do have some quibbles with the book e.g. 1) the terms white supremacy and racism are frequently used interchangeably, but they have much different meanings or that, 2) the author at times strays from the telling to inject her owns beliefs, telling us that this or that theory of Ms. Smith is true (theory, not facts).
Overall, a fascinating tale of a woman who as a young person saw the illogicality of racism and devoted much of her life to fighting it (non-violently) and educating others about its ill effects on everyone.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I was very intrigued when I saw the title of this book. "..the southerner who defied Jim Crow America." Unfortunately, only a small part of the book talked about defying Jim Crow. It was mostly focused on Lillian's personal life and her sexuality.
Lillian herself is an amazing person! She was friends with Martin Luther King Jr. She worked to educate people on ways to create a peaceful society using a non violent approach. "Lillian Smith was, at her core, a great humanitarian. Imagining a new future - a better future, she realized the world needed more truth-tellers, and she spent her life fulfilling that role."
I commend the author for all of her research! As I stated above, I wish the focus was more on Lillian's advocacy and not her lesbian love life.
I was provided a complimentary ARC copy of the book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lillian herself is an amazing person! She was friends with Martin Luther King Jr. She worked to educate people on ways to create a peaceful society using a non violent approach. "Lillian Smith was, at her core, a great humanitarian. Imagining a new future - a better future, she realized the world needed more truth-tellers, and she spent her life fulfilling that role."
I commend the author for all of her research! As I stated above, I wish the focus was more on Lillian's advocacy and not her lesbian love life.
I was provided a complimentary ARC copy of the book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I read Lillian Smith's "Strange Fruit" a few years ago, having come across a reference to it in another book I was reading. I was extremely impressed with her novel and the persuasive case it makes against white supremacy. I knew it was written by a southern white woman but that is all I knew about the author. This excellent biography changed all that. I read it because I was intrigued by the title and subtitle: "An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lillian Smith, the Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America," and didn't initially realize she was the author of "Strange Fruit." This biography is well researched and written in such an engaging manner that I couldn't put it down. Highly recommended
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Keri Leigh Merritt and St. Martin's Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Lillian Smith is a not often discussed Civil Rights Movement activist, and I have to admit that before this book, I had never learned of her. What I discovered in the pages of An Inconvenient Woman is the story of a determined queer woman who would not stand by as racism ran rampant. Her literary works challenged a lot of the widely-held beliefs of the area, and I admire how she refused to back down even when essentially blacklisted during McCarthy era Communist scares, and not even allowing a cancer diagnosis to stop her in her activism. I'm curious now to read some of Smith's works myself after finishing this book!
Lillian Smith is a not often discussed Civil Rights Movement activist, and I have to admit that before this book, I had never learned of her. What I discovered in the pages of An Inconvenient Woman is the story of a determined queer woman who would not stand by as racism ran rampant. Her literary works challenged a lot of the widely-held beliefs of the area, and I admire how she refused to back down even when essentially blacklisted during McCarthy era Communist scares, and not even allowing a cancer diagnosis to stop her in her activism. I'm curious now to read some of Smith's works myself after finishing this book!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Such a great title An Inconvenient Woman. Honestly, I think I’ll strive to be an “inconvenient woman” when it comes to racism and the patriarchy. 😂
Lillian Smith was a white Southern woman who challenged the deeply entrenched beliefs of the Jim Crow South while also becoming an acclaimed author and an early LGBTQ+ trailblazer. Somehow, I had never heard of her.
This was a fascinating and eye-opening look at someone who made a real impact on both the civil rights movement and the literary world, yet was largely forgotten by history (or maybe it was just me?). Well researched and written in a surprisingly immersive way.
I love discovering historical figures I somehow missed and finding women who were unapologetically willing to be "inconvenient". Especially in this political climate. ✊
Lillian Smith was a white Southern woman who challenged the deeply entrenched beliefs of the Jim Crow South while also becoming an acclaimed author and an early LGBTQ+ trailblazer. Somehow, I had never heard of her.
This was a fascinating and eye-opening look at someone who made a real impact on both the civil rights movement and the literary world, yet was largely forgotten by history (or maybe it was just me?). Well researched and written in a surprisingly immersive way.
I love discovering historical figures I somehow missed and finding women who were unapologetically willing to be "inconvenient". Especially in this political climate. ✊
Read
September 19, 2026"An Inconvenient Woman" is a fascinating and eye-opening biography of Lillian Smith, a woman who challenged the racial and social expectations of the Jim Crow South and devoted her life to fighting segregation. Her story is especially compelling because of how boldly she lived, from her relationship with Paula to her efforts to create spaces where Black and white writers could work together. The threats and personal losses she faced never stopped her from speaking out or supporting the growing civil rights movement. Keri Leigh Merritt brings Smith’s complicated life and largely forgotten contributions back into focus, making this an engaging look at both one remarkable woman and an important period in American history.
September 24, 2026
This revealing and well-researched biography tells the story of Lillian Smith (1897–1966), a white woman from the Jim Crow South, who defied expectations by championing equality, running an integrated girls' camp, and editing a liberal magazine with her same-sex partner. Her 1944 bestseller "Strange Fruit" was banned in Boston, drawing threats, arson fires, and FBI attention. Maintaining correspondence with leaders such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Martin Luther King Jr, Smith kept fighting for civil and human rights until her death in 1966. I was pleased to learn about this forgotten anti-segregation advocate and her influence on US history.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I always enjoy reading biographies about things I should've learned in school. While this novel is about Lillian, it's also about her spouse, Paula. It is very clear when reading this book that the two loved each other very much and that neither could've accomplished what they did without the other. While this book talks about all the work Lillian did to combat racism, it did not shy away from her flaws. I think it's important that we learn about the good and the bad as both shape a person's life and the decisions they make.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a fascinating read about Lillian Smith's life and career. I had never heard of her before but, since I love history, I felt this would be a great read and I was correct. Lillian Smith was a civil rights activist, a novelist and an author who defied Jim Crow America. Lillian's whole life was very interesting and I think this author did a great job researching and presenting all of the facts and was very thorough in her writing.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting book.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very interesting book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is a detailed, meticulously researched account of the life and career of a woman who not only wrote the controversial best seller Strange Fruit (1944), but who also bravely became one of the first southern whites to openly advocate for racial equality. She persisted in this at an enormous personal cost, and her story was and remains inspirational. This book provides an unflinching but sensitively written account of her life and career and shows why her story still matters today.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received a free copy of, An Inconvenient Woman, by Keri Leigh Merritt, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have never heard of Lillian Smith before reading this book. I think Lillian Smith was way ahead of her times, living with a women in the south in the 60's was not a normal way of life. Lillian definitely did things her own way. This was an interesting read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was really excited to learn more about Lillian Smith, but the execution of An Inconvenient Woman just didn't work for me. The premise was highly interesting, but the writing was so dense and wordy that I struggled to stay engaged. I actually ended up going to Wikipedia to get the core facts of her life in fewer words. A compelling historical figure, but the book badly needed a tighter edit.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Profound novel. I enjoyed reading biographies and learning about people who have made a difference in history. Hi praise from Pat Conroy and others. LGBT rights and the struggles she went through. Thank you St. Martins press for the arc.
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