Tobacco Sticks

by William Elliott Hazelgrove

A Great Summer read and a real A To Kill A Mockingbird story. Tobacco Sticks takes us back to the Southern town of Richmond in 1946. It is the story of a Senatorial campaign, the rise of the unions, and Burke Hartwell, a lawyer and civic minded man who must choose between two worlds. The war is ending and for Lee Hartwell and his family it bodes the end of something they won't understand until it is too late. " Explosive racial tension, betrayal and murder, difficult ethical and social decisions, first love and a dramatic denouemont in a sweaty Virginia courtroom are skillfully entwined in this haunting tale which has all the characteristics of a good summer read." Starred Review Publishers WeeklyBook of the Month Club Selection"The summer my brother came home from the war was so hot they had to repave the soft tar of Hermitage Street twice. I remember watching the crews, their white t-shirts glowing in the July night with the gravel smoke dancing white under a low moon. It was the last war summer and we received a telegram saying Lucas has been wounded. First we thought he had been shot in the leg, then it became the foot." Tobacco Sticks "American Fiction is not dead, Hazelgrove has skillfully revived it with his second novel, Tobacco Sticks. Highly recommended. "Library Journal

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Novels, Amazon, Coming Of Age, Ebooks

352 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 1995

About the author

William Elliott Hazelgrove is the national bestselling author of ten novels and fourteen narrative nonfiction titles, including Dead Air: The Night That Orson Welles Terrified America (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024), Greed in the Gilded Age: The Brilliant Con of Cassie Chadwick (Rowman & Littlefield, 2024), and Al Capone and the 1933 World's Fair: The End of the Gangster Era in Chicago (Rowman & Littlefield, 2017). His books have received starred reviews in Publishers Weekly Kirkus, Booklist, Book of the Month Selections, ALA Editor's Choice Awards Junior Library Guild Selections, Literary Guild Selections, History Book Club Selections, and optioned for movies. He was the Ernest Hemingway Writer in Residence. He has written articles and reviews for USA Today, The Smithsonian Magazine, Daily Mail, and other publications, and has been featured on NPR's All Things Considered. The New York Times, LA Times, Chicago Tribune, CSPAN, and USA Today have all covered his books with features.

source: Amazon

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are times that I wonder how any Southerner writes a coming of age novel. Given that To Kill a Mockingbird was published more than 50 years ago, every novelist has to deal with its shadow, but Southerners have it especially tough. At least two of the professional reviews I read for Hazelgrove's story referenced TKAM.

I admit that it was hard to miss the similarities. However, Hazelgrove has his on tale to tell. Lee Hartwell has grown up in Richmond, VA where things are slow to change. However, World War II has made changes to the whole world and some of them are affecting Hartwell and his family.

I believe Hazelgrove does a good job of putting the reader in Lee's shoes. Hazelgrove does not give Lee an adult's knowledge of the world but he also gives his narrator plenty of chances to learn about how the adult world works. I found the story interesting and believable. I presently live near Richmond and from what I have learned since coming here the novel seems plausible.

If you are interested in coming of age tales, stories about American history or in the changes this country has experienced, I would suggest that you try Tobacco Sticks.

[Christie · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'mon. I loved to Kill A Mockingbird too. I wouldn't try and re write it, give it a different title and think that people are going to give you credit for an original story...if it wasn't a glaring rip off it would have been better. That being said, the story it rips off is so great that even a copy of it is still going to be good to read!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story line was excellent. The editing not so great.

[Harold Kasselman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Tobacco Sticks by Wm. Hazelgrove which I feel is worthy of recognition. One reviewer called it a rip off of To Kill A Mockingbird. If that's the worst you can say about a book, I'll take that comparison any day.

This is the story of a family in post World War 11 as told by the narrator a 12 year old boy. The setting is Richmond Virginia which is still mired in the racial and class segregation of the Old South. Yet times they are a changing. The unions are starting to get a foothold and even "uppity Negras" are beginning to have a say in the political order which has been dominated by the old boy network.

That political machine is so powerful that they will use any means even illegalities to maintain the status quo. The narrator Lee Hartwell witnesses the change that will touch his entire family and his friends as well. His father Burke (comparable to the Atticus Finch lawyer in Mockingbird) has been part of the political machine and becomes the campaign manager for the power boss state senator who is up for re-election. Burke must straddle carefully between his own moral instincts and those of steel mill magnate Buddy Hillman who is the financial broker for the senator. The latter will devote whatever efforts are necessary to beat the union/black supporters of the challenger.

Lee's life is upended as his father breaks with the machine over a criminal charge lodged against Fanny a black household servant of Hillman which causes Lee and his father to be ostracized by the city.

Lee's friends and even the girl of his dreams Careen Hillman break with the Hartwell family.

Burke's courage is tested to its limits( I won't say why) as he defends Fanny. The last third of the book will have you in angst as the trial rushes to conclusion. The author, although not a lawyer, does create a vivid atmosphere throughout the book and especially during the trial where secrets and motives are revealed. Allow me one personal criticism by pointing out a legal error. He has the lawyers objecting to leading questions on cross examination. ( leading the witness on cross is of course permitted and common). There are also hearsay problems, but these technical glitches do nothing to spoil a story that captured a slice of history for me. I recommend this legal and social novel to everyone. Happy reading

[Susan Toy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second novel by Hazelgrove I have read recently. Both were offered as free downloads by the author, so I took advantage of that and in the process discovered a great author who had been previously unknown to me. I enjoyed "The Pitcher" so much that I immediately downloaded "Tobacco Sticks" when it became available and read it as soon as I could. Hazelgrove *captures* childhood in his books. Both are about young boys and these characters draw the reader into the story, they are so well-drawn. The story of "Tobacco Sticks" takes place at the end of WWII in the southern US where colour lines are still being drawn. Lee's family is caught up in the aftermath of the war, from which some friends and family members returned and others didn't, to a society that was changing from what had always been the accepted way of life to these descendents of plantation owners and slaves. When Lee's lawyer-father has to choose the side he will defend, it changes Lee's family's lives forever.

"Tobacco Sticks" compares quite favourably to Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird." This is a very well-written, well-crafted, novel, like "The Pitcher," and I highly recommend both books.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Tobacco Sticks by William Elliott Hazelgrove, a sort of coming of age story set in the South.

Tobacco Sticks is a tale of power and privilege where a young boy ends up doing the right thing by telling the truth in spite of who the truth exposes, an overview of tobacco farming is present, along with the racial tensions of the time, this book is compared with To Kill A Mockingbird and in my opinion if you loved that book you will also love this one.

[Paul Canady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A classic "coming of age" story against the backdrop of racial injustice in post-WWII Richmond, VA. Lee really struggles with how to handle all of the information that's coming at him, both in his family and beyond.

It is an excellent story that is done a huge disservice by poor editing (at least in the Kindle edition).

[Judy Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I totally enjoyed reading this. A good story about family, days past and the lose of innocence of the young. I look forward to reading Hazelgrove's, The Pitcher, soon.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

If this book had had a decent editor and proofreader I might have been able to give it three stars. The story was OK, although it was both somewhat predictable and farfetched. I read the whole thing, partly because I was curious to see why it has a fairly high average rating. I'm still not sure.

The writing was often pretty bad, with forced and overly flowery description. Sometimes a sentence was so nonsensical or ludicrous I had to stop and cringe in disbelief. It jumped from one scene to another without any transition at all. In addition, there were so many errors throughout the whole book --punctuation, grammar, inconsistency, incorrect word choice, etc.--that made the distraction even worse.

A few specific examples stuck in my mind. One character's name kept going back and forth between Joe and Jim, another's spelling went back and forth between Scotty and Scottie. In one sentence the word "symbols" was used instead of "cymbals". Every time an unmarried woman was referred to, it was printed as Miss. Jones rather than Miss Jones.

And what was the deal with the strange paragraphs at the start of each chapter that tried to describe growing tobacco in slavery times? I hoped it would make more sense at the end, but it seemed to serve no real purpose, and added nothing to the story.

[Ginny Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping story well told

I was absolutely captivated with the story. So beautifully written. The unit only issue I had was in the editing. Was I learned to look beyond that, I couldn’t stop until the end.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book

You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in 1996

[Scarlett Sinn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stunning historical fiction books

A direct tell of the complex relationship between Blacks and Whites in pre Civil Rights Era. This book will captivate you from beginning to end.

[Richard Federline · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging read.

Wasn't sure what to expect but this has all the elements that make for a good story. Coming of age, murder, legal trials, and the problems of any family.

[Linda Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was almost a DNF. It started slow then seemed to get even slower, but ended up being pretty good. Well written.

[Kimberly Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I saw that this book was sort of a To-Kill-A-Mockingbird-esque, I couldn't wait to read it, since that book is my all-time favorite book ever! Bill Hazelgrove did his story justice.

I must admit the novel started out a little slow for me in the beginning, but once I began to see where this story was headed, I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. To say this wasn't an original story, as some reviewers have suggested, I have to respectfully disagree.

If you know the story of TKAM, you know right away, this story is different for the mere simple reason of it's ending, which was awesome! And the characters were really great in this book.

Lee Hartwell is a tween, coming into his own growing up in the south of Richmond, Virginia in the 1930s. His older brothers had come home from the war, and what the war didn't take from these men, it certainly left them a little broken mentally. As they were trying to make themselves a life after war, they ended up being thrown into a family feud of sorts, with young Lee thrown in the middle of it.

Add to that, the Hartwells' maid, Addie's daughter, Fanny, was what they referred to as a too outgoing Negro who finds herself in the center of a huge controversy, when her other boss accuses her of stealing his precious Sterling Silver Tea set. And this is where the real story lies. What the reader finds out, as you quickly turn the pages, is a well thought out story told so boldly by Lee Hartwell.

I truly love southern-theme books, and what better way to celebrate Black History Month than with a good old-fashioned southern book. This was such a great story, and one that will tug at your heartstrings. Oh, and did I forget to mention the legalese in this story will absolutely captivate you. A great story, and one I will never forget, much like the main character, Lee Hartwell! Fanny's trial changed his life and mine!

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story of a boy and his relationship with his father. I think I would place this in the coming of age category, although it is not entirely a coming of age story. It is also a story of privilege, power, corruption and also about racism and exploitation. It was perhaps a little slow starting, but the book culminates in a wonderful trial scene - albeit one I found harder to take entirely seriously since reading "Tom Sawyer - Detective".

The trial read well, keeping you involved much like one of those ones on TV. But I also wondered, as I read, whether the American court system is really riddled with all these things that seem stereotypical now. Do lawyers "object" to every other sentence for instance? Are cross examinations really so brief? For that matter, is the term "caucasian" really used for white people?!

But the answer to all these questions might be - in fact is likely to be - yes. So I am not faulting the book on accuracy. Those were merely thoughts going through my mind because the trial read so much like every other trial scene I have watched or read. There is a twist in this trial of course - but even then it is not unusual to have such a twist - so my criticism of this book is merely that it did not entirely surprise me! But I did enjoy it and would still recommend it.

[Robert A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tobacco Sticks is a Southern novel that is akin to the writing of Harper Lee and perhaps Faulkner, but it's a story with universal appeal. Having spent part of my youth in the South during the 1940's, I recognized some of the characters. The novel recounts the Southern civilization that existed as the country began its slow change. In my opinion, the novel has realistic characterization. There are the mean and racist, folks trying to be "good" but within the confines of the Southern culture of the day, the exploiters and selfish who think only of themselves and use others to gain an advantage, and those who would like to see (moderate) change. The story takes a melodramatic turn occasionally, but that is not a detractor. I liked this novel and I think you will, too. Reviewed by the author of The Children's Story, A Novel Not for Children (about good and evil).

[Chrissy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of a coming of age story/political thriller/period piece...there was a lot going on, maybe too much to be really believable, but it was still an entertaining read and held together pretty well. Hazelgrove did a good job with the main character - vividly brought out the awkward thirteen-year-old boyness of him.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful, beautifully written book about the south after World War II. It is a coming of age book and it was an interesting well done story. A little like "To Kill a Mockingbird," but a different version, done very well. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Darlah · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent read. It is very similar to TKMB from a young boy's view point. The author captured the growing pains of a young adolescent who loses his innocence and learns how cruel men can be. Well done.

[Phil Lawless · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that was hard to get into, but ultimately satisfying. It exposes the Jim Crow era after WWII and the impacts it had on neighbors. The running story of tobacco growing that starts each chapter give some insight into tobacco, but not much in relation to the story.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was left a bit confused at the ending, but overall a great read. Anytime I stay up past my bedtime to read these days indicates a page turner.

[Geri]

Slow beginning. Did not keep my interest at this time. I may try it again at a later time.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book reminded me of To Kill A Mockingbird. A coming of age story in the South. I really enjoyed his writing and characters.

[LLona Cunningham]

This is a lovely story of real life -- but it's not something I can focus on right now. Need to put it away until I have quiet time (maybe on my flight back to Atlanta next month).

[Chuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good read in the same genre as To Kill a Mockingbird.

[Cheryl Ballard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay Southern fiction.

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a REVELATION this book was!! I loved the tensions between siblings and the courtroom finale section... VERY "To Kill a Mockingbird!!!" Will definitely seek out more from this Author!!

[Colleen Reynolds · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for books based in this time period where the lines between black and white were clearly marked, but consistently challenged. I liked the characters and the story line was engaging.