The Kudzu Queen

by Mimi Herman

“Funny, sad, and tender… Mimi Herman has written a novel that possesses a true and hard won understanding of the South.” —David Sedaris, author of Happy-Go-Lucky


Fifteen-year-old Mattie Lee Watson dreams of men, not boys. So when James T. Cullowee, the Kudzu King, arrives in Cooper County, North Carolina in 1941 to spread the gospel of kudzu—claiming that it will improve the soil, feed cattle at almost no cost, even cure headaches—Mattie is ready. Mr. Cullowee is determined to sell the entire county on the future of kudzu, and organizes a kudzu festival, complete with a beauty pageant. Mattie is determined to be crowned Kudzu Queen and capture the attentions of the Kudzu King. As she learns more about Cullowee, however, she discovers that he, like the kudzu he promotes, has a dark and predatory side. When she finds she is not the only one threatened, she devises a plan to bring him down. Based on historical facts, The Kudzu Queen unravels a tangle of sexuality, power, race, and kudzu through the voice of an irresistibly delightful (and mostly honest) narrator.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Literary Fiction, Book Club, Historical, Family, Audiobook

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 10, 2023

Reviews

[Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Seeing him in that moonlit green, I thought about how I’d be losing him, one way or the other, by the end of the summer. He’d come home to visit, and maybe settle down in Cooper County, take over the farm from Daddy or buy his own, but he wouldn’t be the Danny I’d always understood. He’d have experiences I wasn’t privy to, that would change him in ways I couldn’t anticipate. He’d be a grown-up, and someday, not long after that, so would I.”

I finished The Kudzu Queen and my crops are thriving, all my ailments are healed, and my children are fed; I fully embrace my newfound calling to be a Kudzu Queen evangelist.

But wait! Let me rewind and take you back. I don’t exactly remember how I stumbled across this novel, but I was certainly drawn to the cover. I love alliterative titles, the color green, and the aesthetic of kudzu (sorry to ecologists and farmers everywhere).

And then I read the blurb:

Fifteen-year-old Mattie Lee Watson dreams of men, not boys. So when James T. Cullowee, the Kudzu King, arrives in Cooper County, North Carolina in 1941 to spread the gospel of kudzu … Mattie is ready. Based on historical facts, The Kudzu Queen unravels a tangle of sexuality, power, race, and kudzu through the voice of an irresistibly delightful (and mostly honest) narrator.

I am always down to untangle and analyze the dynamics of various marginalized identities. I love coming-of-age stories and southern gothic vibes. So it seemed pretty clear to me that I needed to read this.

And I’m so delighted that I did!

Mimi Herman’s characters nearly lift off the page.
James T. Cullowee? A hot, smart, southern gentleman type who is completely and utterly full of bullshit. As I read The Kudzu Queen It was as though an old-timey version of Lincoln-commercial Matthew McConaughey was brought to life in my living room (no shade, I’m sure Matthew is a lovely man).

And Mattie Watson? Name me a better protagonist; I’ll wait. You can feel the spirit of Harper Lee in this story. Scout Finch rolled in that tire so that Mattie could run. And seriously, Mattie does share many commonalities with Scout. They’re both plucky, strong-willed, and inadvertently hilarious.

As the novel goes on, you start to realize that she also has a whole lot in common with Atticus. She literally wants to be a lawyer when she grows up (!!!) and she’s very justice-oriented. The way that her character evolves is just *chef’s kiss*

And of course, I don’t think it’s possible to write even a half decent novel set in the southern United States without exploring race/racial dynamics in some way. This theme was handled with a lot of subtlety in this novel, and yet it was perhaps my favorite part of the book (and there are so many wonderful elements to choose from). Rose! Her character was written with such grace and care, I simply adored her.

Lastly, I think the depiction of relationships and morality here is unlike anything I’ve ever read. I honestly think this book is a masterpiece. I could’ve read 1,000 pages more.

Actual last thing, this book is right up my alley in a million ways, but it is one of the most normal books I’ve loved in a long while. I gravitate towards weird and wacky: books about people taking temp jobs as ghosts and executives and books about mothers disappearing into the ether with no explanation. I love this book because it is so firmly grounded in reality, in traditional narrative. Despite that (or maybe because of that) it is riveting and beautiful just the same.

Oh my gosh! I almost forgot to mention that kudzu as a metaphor is my jam. Jac Jemc wrote one of my favorite short stories of all time and kudzu is at the center of it. Though she’s using kudzu in an entirely different way, I’d like to think that these texts are in conversation with one another.

Here you go, microdose on literary fiction that features kudzu:
https://www.fsgoriginals.com/features...

All the stars! All the kudzu!

[Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a non-southerner, all I know of kudzu is that it is invasive and fast growing, and that I had friends whose dog with that name was much bigger than expected. Interesting to learn about the government programs to grow kudzu in the 30s. I found it to be slow going, like hacking through the vines

[Wendy Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was intriguing to me about this book is perspective. An historical fiction book set in North Carolina in the 1940's, it is based on the true story of when the government was trying to encourage the planting of kudzu. The many wonderful purposes of this easily-propagated plant were espoused regularly. Of course, we all know now how kudzu took over vast areas, is essentially a weed, and an untamable one at that. Just so interesting to look back on the folly of once was. Obviously, it makes us wonder what we will someday be considered absurd about our lives and understandings.

Only three stars because although I appreciated it all when it was over, I felt like the plot was flat for most of the book and the storyline was unnecessarily drawn out rather than the page-turner it might have been had it been more concise.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 1940s, the government promoted kudzu to the point of subsidization, a fact that this tale weaves itself around. I loved that never once in this book is it mentioned that kudzu actually turned out to be invasive and essentially a weed. Even though you know it to be true, Herman lets you experience the truth of it slowly unfurling through the narrative. It’s actually kind of devastating — watching people put so much hope into something that is all along so terrible. A theme of the book.

The ending felt a little like watching Sandra Bullock in Miss Congeniality, and parts felt a little gratuitous, but overall, a solid Carolina book.

[G.P. Gottlieb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The government is going to pay farmers, the Kudzu King tells everyone in the town of Pinesboro, North Carolina. It’s 1941, and everyone is swept into the excitement in this beautifully written coming-of-age novel about family, friendship, and the invasive plant that nearly destroyed the south.

I was honored to interview the author -https://newbooksnetwork.com/the-kudzu...

[Sarah chittenden · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's the type of book that keeps you interested but also gives you a good feeling the whole time you're reading. The way that the landscape and setting is described sets the stage perfectly for imagining the story as it takes place in your mind. Overall this story could be described as a coming of age tale about a strong young woman and a snake oil salesman :-)

[Kristen Combs · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Gasp - a physical book I OWN)

I met the author at a book signing, maybe two years ago. She read us an excerpt, and seemed very sweet. I purchased the book from the independent bookstore that hosted the book signing, but as many physical books tend to do in my world, it languished on the shelf up until now.

I picked the book up,and read it within a span of two days - excellent choice to get me out of my slump. Some readers have noted inconsistency in pacing, of which I will agree, but honestly, it worked for me here. The plot through most of the book is steady with a heavy feeling like like a North Carolina summer. The ending speeds up quite quickly, it’s almost a whiplash effect, with a very quick conclusion. The characters are interesting; the reader will definitely root for the first person narrator, who is bold but imperfect – just the way I like ‘em. Family, friends, and even the enemies are all realistic in this small town yarn.

Overall, this is a great coming-of-age tale and a story of lost innocence that straddles the world of YA/adult fiction. I don’t know that I will be thinking of this book in the same way I would some other reads long-term, but would definitely recommend as I enjoyed both the writing and the story itself.

[Teague Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book spoke to me, and has just about everything I love in a story:
Thoughtful historical fiction that teaches me something I didn't know about a unique period in our past. 
Beautiful, lush writing that makes the reading experience practically cinematic. 
Wonderful, complex characters (mostly women and girls) with evolving and believable family and friendship dynamics.
A true slice of life story that acknowledges and honors joy and tragedy in equal measure. 

If that doesn't sell you, maybe "To Kill a Mockingbird meets The Music Man" will.

I CANNOT BELIEVE this is a debut novel. I will watch Mimi Herman's Goodreads page like a hawk from here on out. 

[Brooke Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good novel that dives into family, friends, secrets, and good versus evil. When the Kuzu King comes into town to convince the residents of Cooper County to grow it, the main character, Mattie, is immediately fascinated by him. As time goes on things seem to become questionable and Mattie sets out to find the truth.

While this was a good story, it seemed to be slow moving. In the first half of the book I found myself constantly asking what we were building towards. The second half was more engaging and I enjoyed the plot as more things began to be revealed. Overall, it was an enjoyable and not one I would pick out on my own.

[Jessica Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up Mimi Herman's THE KUDZU QUEEN back in October at the Southern Festival of Books. The cover caught my eye, I only started to learn about kudzu since moving to Tennessee, and I enjoy books with young heroines, so I decided to get it. THE KUDZU QUEEN is about a small town in North Carolina in 1941 when a charismatic stranger visits, promising that kudzu is the crop of the future that will make Americans rich. 15-year-old Mattie Watson, as well as most of the town, is enamored with the man who calls himself the "Kudzu King." When Mattie hears about a pageant to become the Kudzu Queen, she jumps at the chance to do it and get the attention of her new crush. This book was cozy, but it also had some really heartbreaking and dark themes. Mattie reminded me of Scout from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and Donkey from Bonnie Jo Campbell's latest book, THE WATERS. She's spunky and sincere, but she's not without her faults. I enjoyed seeing her journey from infatuation to revenge to undo the Kudzu King's sinister spell he's cast over the town. Content warning for several mentions and a scene of sexual assault.

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi Herman delivers a tale that is honest, original, and relatable in this unforgettable novel. The main character, Mattie Lee Watson, will stay with me as an example of both a strong young woman and an adolescent discovering the hard truths of this world. There were so many lines in the prose and dialogue that I'd never read anywhere else before and which give this novel its unique flavor (kudzu jelly anyone?)
Highly recommend this book and author!

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised at how much I found myself growing to love this simple heartfelt book. My parents grew up in rural NC and this book made me nostalgic for my aunt’s tales of growing up in similar circumstances.

[Katelynn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me engrossed from start to finish. Mimi Herman’s prose are beautifully written, her setting is vivid and clear, and her characters shine through each and every page. Simply a masterpiece!

[Lynsee Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I typically read, but it was enjoyable. I have only hated two, maybe three fictional characters more than I hated this villain. I did enjoy the ending... But dang it took us a while to get there.

TW: sexual abuse, neglect, physical abuse (I'm sure there's more I missed)

[Ivy Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story! I wasn’t expecting too much from this book but I was so sad when it ended. Totally engrossing!

[Patrick O'Dowd · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love a novel that teaches me something. It can be something about myself or life but also about a historical moment or an ecological oddity. There’s something powerful about learning through fiction. The way it sticks to you by attaching itself to the narrative. Mimi Herman manages this with alacrity in her excellent coming-of-age novel, The Kudzu Queen.

I had never heard of kudzu before reading this book. I'd have believed you if you had told me it was a mythical monster or a chemical compound manufactured by J & J. It isn’t either of those things. It’s a plant. A vine that consumes all life around it. It blocks out the sunlight and kills the plants underneath it. It’s incredibly resilient and is classified in the United States as an invasive species.

It can also be eaten or used in various forms of folk medicine or woven into baskets or, well, any number of other uses.

During the Dust Bowl, the Soil Conservation Service paid farmers eight dollars per acre to plant kudzu on their land to stave off the erosion that caused the Dust Bowl. The Dust Bowl, of course, coincided with The Great Depression, and eight dollars per acre was an offer few could pass up.

Naturally, people capitalized on this opportunity. Men traveled the south, promoting the crop and encouraging people to plant it. Think of The Music Man (or the Phil Hartman voiced Lyle Lanely in The Simpsons episode Marge vs. the Monorail) but with a noxious weed instead of a band.

That’s the background for this novel, though you didn’t need me to tell you all that, as Herman manages to detail it in the book (and honestly does a much better job of it). She weaves in the history and context with the careful ease that so much excellent historical fiction manages. After you finish the novel, you’re left with many thoughts about kudzu and the nation. What are the consequences of short-term thinking? When is the solution worse than the problem? How does this novel reflect on our current ecological disasters? And how does the kudzu represent capitalism and the increasingly unachievable American dream?

That’s one of my favorite things about good historical fiction. They use the past to reflect on the present without making it obvious. Herman manages that with a deft touch. You never feel like you’re being preached to or like she’s trying to teach you a lesson. She uses a coming-of-age story to package these macro ideas without sacrificing the heart of the novel – our teenage protagonist.

Mattie, our precocious and charming narrator, is on the cusp of adulthood, an age that lends itself well to a novel about change. She’s straddling multiple worlds, sometimes forced to act as an adult and other times slipping seamlessly into the comfort of childhood. Herman dances between these two worlds with elegance and beauty.

I was particularly taken by the way she demonstrates Mattie’s feelings towards the Kudzu King – the music man who comes to town to sell them kudzu. She begins the novel being enamored with him. She longs for something… to do something with him, though she’s not quite sure what. It’s not that she’s unaware of what adults do, but she doesn’t know how far she wants to go. I won’t spoil anything, but her emotions regarding him and her pending adulthood change throughout the novel.

This relationship works on a metaphorical level as well. The Kudzu King represents a seedy version of capitalism that still festers in our nation. She’s drawn to it - the wealth, the charm, the vibrancy - and longs to be a part of it. But she discovers the squalid underbelly of this form of capitalism – how a man like the Kudzu King uses and exploits innocent, trusting people.

The Kudzu Queen possesses beautiful moments of compassion and humanity. It shows the effect that poverty and neglect can have on children and how love can be found even in the darkest times. It’s a beautiful novel that illuminates a time and place in our nation and speaks to something universal in all of us. I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s a vivid portrait of the South during The Great Depression, and more than that, it’s a timeless story of growing up in the face of adversity.

[BJ Magnani · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kudzu Queen is a coming-of-age story about Mathilda (Mattie) Lee Watson—fifteen going on twenty-five—set in Cooper County, North Carolina, in 1941. Life on the farm is demanding, taking care of chickens and pigs and milking cows while growing tobacco and cotton. Balancing school with chores shared with her brothers, Mattie is swept up in “what ifs” when kudzu salesman James T. Cullowee slides into town. The farmers meet Mr. Cullowee with suspicion, while the schoolboys, easily swayed by promises of money and recognition, see him as a teacher and leader with much to offer. And the town girls, they view him as a Greek god.

Mattie navigates her feelings of blossoming womanhood and attraction to the opposite sex while fending taunts from jealous teenage girls who view her as a threat. She copes with her best friend’s family struggles and her relationship with her two brothers. The pull of a strong magnet of young longing veers her off course, and she questions her sense of desire versus what’s right. “There’s this thing called ‘true north.’ No matter where you are, it stays north. It’s absolute, and can’t be affected by what anyone thinks or does.” Mattie’s compass does get stuck, but she manages to reset her internal beacon and steer her life in the right direction.

Mimi Herman’s writing is lyrical and filled with similes. The scenes are painted with such precision and color, the reader feels, smells, and experiences what Mattie does. The Kudzu Queen, with all its nuance, is a slice of the old South, and as kudzu and corn grow to towering heights, so does Mattie Watson. A worthwhile journey.

[Alisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi Herman's new book tells a very Southern tale, well researched and supported - in the early 20th century, the government encouraged farmers, towns and other groups to plant kudzu - a plant that was supposed to be a miracle plant but instead became an invasive threat. However, in support of their efforts to encourage the plant's growth, the towns and communities held Kudzu Queen contests, parades, trainings for the farm boys on how to plant it and lectures on how to use this miracle, vibrant green plant. The book is set in one such small town farming community in pre-WWII North Carolina, where the main characters are 15 year old Mattie and the Kudzu King, a salesman and Harry-Hill type, with Mattie's family and best friend and the town's mayor, mayor's wife and others. Small towns all over this country share recognizable traits, as do 15 year old girls coming into their own. Gripping, sometimes humorous, scary at times and well worth the read.

[Marjorie Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi Herman'sThe Kudzu Queen will stand on the shelf beside the best of coming of age stories of the 1940s South. Like The Music Man, the Kudzu King comes to town and woos the farmers, the town wives, and the high school girls with visions of transformation--and a contest with a tiara. Smart as a whip Mattie falls for his vision, plants her own secret field of Kudzu, and vies for the crown, learning along the way to see the world as it is, and that she has courage to stand up for the ones she loves. Warm with family affection, sharp with insight, spiced with wit, this debut novel took me deep into a warm familiar world of the small town and rural South. LIke a Lee Smith novel, the storytelling is charming, with a rock hard foundation of truthtelling.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read! I love coming of age stories & stories set in the South & this was ideal! The main character has such a great personality with her quirky comments that made me smile. And the story itself is tender, heartbreaking, & funny all wrapped up in a perfect package of a novel. Loved it.

[Sally Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really didn't feel this book fit the write up on the book jacket. Mostly the musings of a 15 year old girl, as she works her way through meeting a new magnetic personality in their sleeping little town. The characters were on the shallow development side and the writing was very light in depth. Quick read and I wanted to see what happened but the subjects listed on the book blurb were very lightly addressed. Just a light read.

[Clare Berlinski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting that this was based on a true setting even though the characters and story were fiction. I thought it was well written and a feel good story since the main character's perspective was innocent and admirable. It did drag on a bit though and everything got wrapped up really quickly in the end. I wish it came to the climax much sooner and then had some more description of the aftermath.

[Sagar · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for plant lovers. The author is talented at portraying historical ideas and themes subtly. I think this is a brilliant coming of age story, but I had some issues like it was too long. I think it only needed to be between 100-200 pages because I was bored at some points.

[Doctor Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do like reading books that are a little out of my target zone now and then, and this one was a stretch.

This is a coming-of-age story, of a 15 year old girl, Mattie Watson, in rural North Carolina in 1940.

When the story begins, Mattie’s life isn’t perfect, but it’s reliable. She lives with her mother and father, on their farm, with her 10 year old brother, Joey, and her older brother Danny, in his last year of high school.

The Watson farm is healthy and productive, and Mattie’s parents provide solid guidance and wisdom. Mattie’s best friend, Lynette Johnson, lives on a tenant farm, owned by Mattie’s parents.

Lynette isn’t so lucky as Mattie. Her father, “Mr. Johnson,” is a hard drinker, a lazy farmer, and an abusive husband and father — “mean as a snake.” You know that’s not going to be good. Her mom does her dwindling best to look after Lynette and her two younger sisters.

And there is Rose, in many ways as good a friend to Mattie as Lynette. Rose though, in 1940 rural North Carolina, lives in a parallel African American world. But her relationship with Mattie is as important to Mattie's coming-of-age as any other in the story.

The plot's catalyst is The Kudzu King, James Cullowee. He arrives in the town of Pinesboro to exalt the virtues of the “miracle crop.” It’s cattle feed, ground cover, soil replenisher, . . . you can eat it, you can smoke it, you can probably drink it. And it pretty much grows itself, rain or shine.

Cullowee is a young man on the make, and we know it, even if Mattie, her brother Danny, and many others in Pinesboro don’t.

He organizes meetings, events, a demonstration field (at the Johnson farm), and a Kudzu Queen pageant, at which Mattie and her high school peers, including Lynette, will be contestants.

Cullowee is a predator. As readers, we are just watching how and when, and on whom, he feeds.

The first actual dark notes don’t sound until about 100 pages into the story. Mimi Herman takes pains to set this up, even while we know at least the kind of thing that’s coming.

Mattie is attracted to Cullowee. He’s a strong presence, a “man” in the preferred sense, by distinction from, among others, Carl Davis, a high school boy who takes Mattie on her first date.

All of this setting for coming-of-age also has its place within a greater coming-of-age and loss of innocence that World War II is about to bring to Pinesboro. Danny’s generation is going to fight this war.

Mattie is going to grow up fast. That’s all I’m going to say to avoid spoilers. The climax, at the Kudzu Queen pageant, is “fantastic,” in the literal sense that leans on the word’s affinity with fantasy.

But it is satisfying, more satisfying than realistic. So you (I) root for it and applaud it. And you root for Mattie, for Lynette, Danny, and all of them.

I enjoyed reading the book — it moves, and it has direction. Like I said, it’s not in my target zone, but it was enlightening to spend some time in its own zone.

And, by the way, watch for the cameo by a youngish state judge (“a country lawyer”), Sam Ervin, later of Watergate fame.

[Eric Copeland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, this is a tricky one. I give a lot of four-star ratings because if I'm not pretty much enjoying a book, I won't finish it. If it's awful (and I still finish it, usually because it's for my book group and I insist on finishing everything that I ask THEM to read), I'll cut a star or two off of that. If it's really good, I'll give it that rare five stars.

This is a book that (probably) won't change your life in any big way. It might change it in small ways, though, because it hits a lot of right notes and does it with an authenticity that, in my opinion, is rare in stories like this.

I'm not sure what really drew me to "The Kudzu Queen." It's not a genre that usually catches my attention, but when I saw it on the shelf at the library something about the title caused me to pull it down and read the cover blurb. That, in turn, led me to snap a photo and put it in my "library" folder on my phone... and here we are.

The novel takes place in North Carolina in 1941, and the narrator and protagonist is a 15-year-old girl named Mattie. I saw that in the cover blurb that the character had drawn comparisons to Scout Finch, but I think I would have come to that conclusion myself. She's older than Scout was during "To Kill a Mockingbird," but she has the same no-nonsense spunk that made Scout such a resonant character. She's also something of a tomboy, but she's on the verge of turning into a young woman, and that is hastened by the arrival of both a "crop" -- the invasive and overwhelming kudzu vine of the title -- and the Kudzu King, a slick snake-oil salesman type who is promoting the wonders of this plant.

Mattie is smitten by this man, whose name is actually James Cullowee, and romanticizes the idea of being his true love despite their age difference. She and her younger brother go all in on kudzu farming, but she also thinks that her goal of luring this gorgeous newcomer might be more reachable if she takes part in a competition to be the Kudzu Queen, who will "rule" over her community's first kudzu festival.

But this means that she has to take classes to learn how to be more ladylike. So while her tomboy persona is working on her kudzu crop with her brother, she's also developing what at the time was viewed as her expected "womanly" side. She's dealing with boy drama and girl drama among her peers, her best friends are going through trials of their own, and as she grows into her Kudzu Queen potential she is also learning more about the Kudzu King.

That's probably enough to say, because I don't want to give away any spoilers. But suffice it to say that Mattie and her family, especially her mother and her brothers Danny (who's older) and Joey (the younger brother and kudzu-faming partner), are heart-achingly real in the way they interact. Likewise with her best friend and HER younger sisters, and the young man who takes an interest in Maddie, and another friend, Rose, with whom her relationship is delicate because Mattie is white and Rose is black, but with whom she also shares a solid core of a need to do the right thing even when it's difficult. Her rivals for Kudzu Queen are a little more one-dimensional, but as a teenager that's probably how Mattie would view them. And, for better or for worse,

Edit: My wife called to my attention that apparently due to a glitch in the website, my entire review was not posted. I had thought I could perhaps revisit what I wrote and try to recreate my thought process to fill in the end, but I feel it's best to leave it unfinished. If you've read this far and can't stand not knowing the rest of my opinion, feel free to reach out!

[bookboundb! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kudzu Queen is a slow simmer of a novel, which is perfect for a book set in a small North Carolina town in the 1940s. The year the Kudzu King arrives, everything changes for Mattie, our protagonist, and amidst all these changes, her transition from childhood to womanhood begins.

On the surface, this coming of age story is fairly typical, with all the aches and confusions you’d expect. What struck me, though, was the ominous undertone presented by James Cullowee, the Kudzu King, and the kudzu itself. If you live in the South, then you know this plant, how it creeps and consumes. As a character, Cullowee is just like that. He was a top notch villain for his believability. We have probably all met a man like him.

Mattie, her family, and her friends were just as endearing as Culloweee was slimy. As a North Carolina girl myself, they felt familiar to me, like people I’ve known all my life

This book easily would’ve been a 4-star read were it not for the last 50 pages. That authenticity of the characters, which was the highlight of this book for me, took a sharp nosedive. Mattie’s personal arc concluded in a way that I really just didn’t like, but perhaps should’ve seen coming. There were a few speeches in the last chapters that were, erm, just too much, too forced, too cheesy, and the big finale left me feeling kind of icky. If you don’t mind spoilers, I’ll explain briefly in the next paragraph!

BIG SPOILER


So the Kudzu King assaults Mattie twice throughout the book. It’s nothing too explicit, but it’s definitely assault. Towards the end, we discover he also assaulted one of her best friends, a Black girl named Rose (who really deserved more page time because she was fabulous).
Because it’s the 1940s and, ya know, racism, Rose can’t come forward about what happened. I thought this would be the impetus for Mattie to reveal her own assault, as a means of getting justice not only for herself, but for her friend as well.
Nope. Did not happen.

Instead, in the very last chapter, we find out that the Kudzu King also assaulted a 10 year old girl. And what does Mattie do? She partially instigates putting that traumatized child on stage, in front of basically the whole town, to be the one to reveal the truth.

This really pissed me off tbh and severely tainted how I felt about Mattie as a character. I genuinely don’t understand why the author decided to end this the way she did.

[Kathleen Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE KUDZU QUEEN, southern fiction at its best
by gifted author Mimi Herman

What happens when a smart but impressionable fifteen-year-old girl meets a handsome stranger who rolls into town in a shiny green pickup and makes promises to local farmers and the community that Kudzu is the miracle crop they've all been waiting for? The Kudzu King, Mr. James T. Cullowee, claims that Kudzu will improve their soil, cure headaches, and is a cheap source of food for cattle. Heck, you can even dry it like tobacco and roll it up and smoke it, he says.

It's 1941, and America has not yet entered WWII. So when Mattie Lee Watson first sets sight on Mr. James T. Cullowee, she is smitten. She swoons over his looks and his charm, even though he's a grown man and she's still in high school. To girls like Mattie, a loyal friend and daughter of a successful farmer, the Kudzu King is all she thinks about. Along with his promise to hold a beauty pageant complete with a talent portion where one lucky girl will be crowned The Kudzu Queen.

Mattie wants that crown more than anything, so she attends "charm school" sessions held by the mayor's wife. While she's learning all the graces of how to walk and talk and present herself in a professional manner, she encounters her former best friend from childhood, Rose, who is now working as a maid for the mayor's wife. Rose and Mattie are the same age, but Rose is black, and she's not invited to try out for the pageant.

While attending these practice sessions, Mattie worries about the talent portion of the pageant, for she claims that she has no talent. Her dreams are to attend law school one day and become a lawyer. In a satisfying scene late in the novel, Mattie puts her skills as a future lawyer to the test and it changes the course of the story.

The Kudzu Queen is one of those novels that keeps you turning the pages as you root for Mattie and her family, and all the locals affected by the promises of a charming stranger who might be hiding something.

This story is well written, and every character feels like a real person. You don't have to live in the south to enjoy this tale that's based on historic events. I highly recommend it.

[Judith Turner-Yamamoto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friendship, Fellowship, and The Kudzu Queen: A Literary Homecoming

There’s nothing like traveling with friends. How incredible is this: I reread Mimi Herman’s The Kudzu Queen while traveling to North Carolina to give a book talk—where Mimmi herself was in my audience! Our shared dinner afterward was the perfect reminder of how very rich author fellowship truly is.

The Kudzu Queen is a mesmerizing and deeply evocative novel that transports readers to 1940s Hockley, North Carolina, a small Southern town where the arrival of a charismatic outsider upends the rhythms of rural life. With exquisite prose and an unwavering sense of place, Herman crafts a coming-of-age story that is both tender and profound, tackling themes of power, manipulation, and resilience with remarkable nuance.

Fifteen-year-old Mattie Lee Watson is an unforgettable narrator—sharp-witted, observant, and full of longing for a world beyond her small hometown. When James R. Cullowee, a charming but unscrupulous kudzu salesman, arrives in Hockley with grand promises and a contest to crown the Kudzu Queen, Mattie Lee and her community are swept up in his allure. Yet beneath his polished veneer lies something far more sinister, and as Mattie Lee begins to untangle the truth, she is thrust into a reckoning that forces her to confront both the limits of her innocence and the depths of her own strength.

Herman’s writing is at once lyrical and immersive, rich with sensory detail that brings Hockley vividly to life—the sweltering summers, the tangled vines creeping over fields and fences, the tight-knit yet deeply stratified community where reputation and power shape destinies. More than just a historical novel, The Kudzu Queen is a meditation on power—who wields it, who suffers under it, and how young women, in particular, learn to navigate a world that too often underestimates them.

A stunning, poignant, and deeply satisfying read, Herman has delivered a work that is both timely and enduring. Reading The Kudzu Queen again was a joy, but sharing that experience with Mimi herself—both on the page and across the dinner table—was a reminder of how stories not only connect us to the past, but to each other.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi Herman gives readers a memorable narrator, Mathilda Lee Watson, in The Kudzu Queen. Through this 15-year-old high school sophomore better known as Mattie, she conjures up pre-World War II Pinesboro in Cooper County, North Carolina. Since nary a hill gets mentioned while cotton and tobacco crops are, I assume it is somewhere on the coastal plain just before it gives way to the piedmont.

The Watsons are not so affluent as some nearby townfolk, but their land and that of their tenant farmers is providing a good living when properly worked. Good enough to send her older brother Danny to agricultural college in the coming fall. Good enough that Mattie isn't rejecting the idea of going off to college herself someday. However, cotton and tobacco aren't so profitable as they have been for decades. The stage is set for a kudzu crusade led by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, but brought to Cooper County by James T. Cullowee. He drives a green Chevy truck laden with kudzu cuttings right into Pinesboro on a boring spring Saturday and proselytizes switching crops. He is a handsome snappy dresser with a gift for oratory, but not everyone succumbs to his charms. Yet. The promise of abundant kudzu crops plus a festival, complete with a tiara for teen kudzu queen, turns many heads. Even Mattie's innate skepticism may relent.

Herman populates this novel with a wide range of characters. Their dialogue and Mattie's inner monologues ring with authenticity. Her plotting, foreshadowing and irony make reading this novel a treat. Although the first 100 pages were slow for me, the humor was well placed. Cooper County is a great place to "live" in for a bit, but the satisfying final chapters lead me to believe Herman will not bring Mattie or her environment to readers again.

[Lucy Cummin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's 1941 and Mattie Watson is perched on that perilous edge between childhood and young adult when a handsome stranger comes to a farming town in North Carolina promising wonders: kudzu, the miracle crop of the future. Mattie and her younger brother start their own kudzu patch on the property of a recently deceased great aunt, a beauty pageant for a Kudzu Queen is announced. Mattie's family is also on the edge of change as her older brother will go to college the following year, her best friend's family appears to be collapsing, she is becoming aware of the complexities of adult interactions--between Black and white, town and country, rich and poor, educated and not. The challenge for her is to find her way through temptations and distractions to the truth that she has sensed hidden below the surface. Took me awhile to become engaged, but then I read intently. Herman takes her time to get even small details and interactions right both for the period and for developing the characters and ground the story firmly in the time and place. I found the ending a little too . . . something, but never mind, it's always a pleasure and inspiration to see justice done, rare enough in real life! ***1/2