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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
Prohibition violence and gunfights; some deaths; bootlegging-era lawlessness
Language
Some
Period language with some strong words
Sexual Content
Some
Adult romantic relationships in a Prohibition-era setting; some intimate content
Substance Use
A lot
Moonshine and bootlegging are central to the story; alcohol pervasive throughout
Emotional Intensity
Some
The tension of operating in a violent, illegal economy; family loyalty and betrayal; a woman proving herself in a man's world
What this book is about
Virginia, 1920s. Kat Maddox is the illegitimate daughter of the most powerful man in the county — a bootlegger, a boss, and a man with enemies. When he is shot and left incapacitated, Kat steps in to run the family's moonshine operation and discovers she is exceptionally good at it. Jeannette Walls's Prohibition-era novel is a vivid portrait of a woman who finds her power in a world designed to keep her invisible — and of the violence, loyalty, and betrayal that surround anyone who rises too fast in a lawless economy.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
pervasive bootlegging and alcohol
Prohibition violence
some adult content
Reader Verification
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