The Moonshine Women
- Judith D Collins
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
Narrators: Libby McKnight, Graham Winton
Recorded Books
ISBN: 9781496748300
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
A John Scognamiglio Book
Publication Date: 03/31/2026
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
In the Prohibition era Missouri Ozarks, three sisters take over their father’s moonshine business in an evocative story of reinvention, sisterhood, and the alchemy of love for readers of Jeannette Walls, Fannie Flagg, Sue Monk Kidd, and Donna Everhart.
Every batch of Strong moonshine has its own special flavor, thanks to the secret ingredients that matriarch Lidy Strong adds to the barrels of fermenting corn mash. Whether a bucketful of golden peaches, a ripe melon or juicy, jewel-toned berries, that extra “something something” is what makes the Strong “shine” so prized—and allows the family to survive after crop prices plummeted in the wake of the Great War.
Each of the Strong sisters, too, is distinct. Stoic, steadfast Rebecca would rather be with her beloved farm animals or off hunting in the woods than socializing. Middle sister Elsie is kindhearted, beautiful—and itching for a life more thrilling than the farm can offer. Jace, the youngest, is known far and wide as “Shine,” a name that suits her fiery personality and flaming red hair as much as her innate skill with a still.
Their father, Hiram, has been drowning himself in grief and liquor ever since his wife died. But the moonshine business is unforgiving, especially with Prohibition agents turning up in every creek and holler. When tragedy strikes, it falls to the Strong women to keep the still running, the family together, and hope burning on the horizon.
From the Ozark mountains edged in oak and pine, to the outlaw paradise of Hot Springs, Arkansas—where gangsters like Al Capone line the bar at the Southern Club—the sisters’ quests for vengeance, healing, and love will drive them forward, in search of a future as transformative and powerful as the purest Strong moonshine.
About the Author
Michelle Collins Anderson grew up on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks — a place and a way of life that has shaped her writing. She received her MFA in Fiction from Warren Wilson College and has a journalism degree from the University of Missouri.
Her short fiction has appeared in Nimrod International Journal #37 Awards Edition, Literal Latté, Midwestern Gothic, bosque, The Lascaux Review, Pooled Ink, Literary Mama, The Green Hills Literary Lantern and The Sulphur River Literary Review. Michelle has been an adjunct professor at the University of Missouri and Stephens College, taught creative writing at her local elementary school, and serves on the board of The Missouri Review.
She and her husband have three adult children and live in a 1907 brick row house in St. Louis, Missouri, with two sister cats and a rambunctious border collie.
Connect with Michelle
Michelle's Books
THE FLOWER SISTERS
THE MOONSHINE WOMEN
Exceptional Authors.
Standout Books. Elevator Talk.
Behind the Book & the Author
INTRIGUING QUESTIONS. INQUIRING READERS WANT TO KNOW
Coming March 31, 2026
an Elevator Ride with the bestselling author
Michelle Collins Anderson and her
captivating new novel, The Moonshine Women.
Praise
“A feminine odyssey of legendary proportions, The Moonshine Women absolutely brims with hope, heat, and heart. Tender and gripping, this story is juicy all the way down to the last drop.” —Amy Jo Burns, author of Shiner
“Transportive and deeply immersive, The Moonshine Women is a big-hearted homage not only to the hardscrabble Ozarks and the three formidable sisters whose stories Michelle Collins Anderson deftly depicts, but to a survival instinct encoded in the American experience. I especially enjoyed the collision of fact and fiction and the vivid evocation of the story's geographical and emotional terrain.”
—Christopher Castellani, author of Last Seen
“This captivating story of family secrets, vengeance, run-ins with the law, and even gangsters such as Al Capone are impeccably crafted. The descriptive prose will have you breathing in the Ozark mountain air as the determined Strong sisters do whatever it takes to keep their family together, and they’ll leave you thinking about them long after closing the book.”
—Loretta Ellsworth, author of The French Winemaker’s Daughter on The Moonshine Women
“A must-purchase for Ozarks-region libraries. Recommended for readers who enjoy novels about strong women characters and rural survival.” —Library Journal on The Moonshine Women
“From the Missouri hills to the flashy resort town of Hot Springs (where even Al Capone enjoys the nightlife), the fierce protagonists of The Moonshine Women find their own places in this turbulent world but never break the bonds of love and respect that tie them together. This is a rip-roaring family saga that proves a man can't hold a candle to a woman when it comes to protecting—and avenging—the ones you love. ”
—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Children's Blizzard
My Review
Michelle Collins Anderson, a beloved author, makes a remarkable return with her latest enthralling novel, THE MOONSHINE WOMEN, following the tremendous success of her dazzling debut, The Flower Sisters. Both works feature stunning covers and showcase the brilliance of this masterful Southern storyteller.
In this captivating piece of historical fiction, readers are transported to the Prohibition-era Ozarks, where three sisters find themselves unexpectedly tasked with managing their father's illicit business after a tragic event dramatically changes their lives.
As the narrative unfolds, you will be drawn into a suspenseful journey that delves into the sisters' individual and collective struggles for survival, revenge, healing, and love. The story intricately navigates a treacherous landscape filled with federal agents and gangsters, guaranteeing an exhilarating reading experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
About...
Setting: The Missouri Ozarks during the Prohibition era (1920s-1940s).
Plot: After their father's murder, the Strong sisters must run the family's moonshine operation, which involves secret ingredients, dodging law enforcement, and dealing with gangsters.
Characters: The story centers on the distinct personalities of the three sisters: stoic Rebecca, kind Elsie, and fiery Shine (Jace). Their grandmother, Lidy, also plays a key role.
Themes: Sisterhood, revenge, love, survival, strong women, and the history of moonshine.
Genre: Historical fiction, coming-of-age, Southern fiction, rural small town
Author: Michelle Collins Anderson, also known for The Flower Sisters
The Strong family relies on their moonshine business, made unique by matriarch Lidy's (grandmother) secret "something something" ingredients, to survive after crop prices fall in the wake of the Great War.
The sisters' father, Hiram, who has been drowning in grief and liquor since his wife's death, is murdered. Following their father's murder, the Strong women (including their grandmother Lidy) must keep the still running and the family together, leading them to seek vengeance.
Shine and Rebecca move the business from rural Missouri to Hot Springs, Arkansas, an "outlaw paradise" where they encounter real-life figures like gangster Al Capone. Throughout their endeavors, the sisters must evade federal Prohibition agents, including John Flannagan and R.J. McConnell, who are enforcing the Volstead Act.
The sisters' quests extend beyond the business, encompassing personal paths: Rebecca's healing and new love, Elsie's search for excitement, and Shine's drive to make money, pay debts, and survive the dangerous world they've entered.
The novel skillfully explores themes of sisterhood, survival, and reinvention against the backdrop of a challenging historical era.
My thoughts...
Reflecting on "The Moonshine Women," it becomes evident that the author masterfully captures the emotional depth, a rich historical backdrop, and compelling female protagonists. The prose is not only vivid and poetic but also deeply sensory, offering an evocative glimpse into the Prohibition-era landscapes of Missouri and Arkansas.
With meticulous research and a profoundly immersive narrative, Anderson skillfully invites readers into the vibrant world of the 1920s, centered around the lives of three sisters. You are going to love them.
Their intertwined journeys weave a collective saga that illustrates how these resilient women harness their unique strengths and the bonds of sisterhood to safeguard their family and carve out their own identities amidst a chaotic world.
The historical context of the Ozarks during Prohibition reveals a complex environment where traditional practices, economic hardship, and changing social norms created fertile ground for the illegal alcohol trade that defines The Moonshine Women.
Together, the sisters' journeys form a collective saga of how these determined women use their individual strengths and bonds of sisterhood to protect their family and find their own places in a turbulent world.
Moonshining was deeply ingrained in the regional culture as a way to make money when traditional avenues failed. It operated as part of a "shadow economy" when many legal businesses were shutting down nationwide.
The Strong sisters' quest for revenge is tied to the expansion of their illegal moonshine business after their father, Hiram's murder. The sisters—specifically Shine (Jace), Rebecca, and Elsie—take over the family operation. To avenge his death and find the person responsible, they relocate the business from their home in Kinney, Missouri, to the "outlaw paradise" of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Women like the Strong sisters operated in a "gray area" of the law and society. Many states had laws that made it illegal for male police officers to search women, so female bootleggers could transport alcohol more easily by hiding it in their clothing or a baby carriage.
Law enforcement and the public often underestimated women's capacity for crime, with some juries hesitant to convict them. This perception allowed women to become highly effective bootleggers, sometimes outnumbering their male counterparts. For many women, bootlegging wasn't a choice but a necessity to feed their children and keep a roof over their heads. Court records show women pleading that it was an alternative to starvation.
Title Significance
The Moonshine Women is fascinating and holds significance on both a literal and a symbolic level, reflecting the core themes of the novel from the illicit business, the livelihood, the secrecy and night work, and a strong, potent product.
On a deeper, symbolic level, the title refers to the characters themselves and their remarkable ability to endure and reinvent their lives. They are forced to become "tough" and "strong" (again, linking to their surname) in the face of tragedy, murder, and societal constraints.
The "alchemy of love and reinvention" is a key theme of the book.
The story is primarily driven by the internal lives, motivations, and relationships of the sisters rather than just the historical events. The structure of The Moonshine Women is centered on the perspectives of the sisters and their grandmother, allowing for deep dives into their individual struggles and growth.
Ultimately, the title The Moonshine Women captures both the literal illegal world they inhabit and the inner grit, resilience, and clandestine strength that define the Strong sisters.
The writing
Michelle Collins Anderson's writing style is strongly character-driven historical fiction that is rich in sensorial, descriptive prose and meticulous, research-based detail. Her background growing up on a farm in the Missouri Ozarks informs her authentic regional voice. It features vivid, sensorial descriptions, a character-driven narrative, and seamless integration of history with themes of resilience and family.
Her writing consistently explores "stories with a big heart, on family and human relationships" and "the inevitability of change and loss". The tone is tender yet gripping, focusing on the grit, hope, and heart of strong women characters.
THE MOONSHINE WOMEN is an absorbing and exhilarating read. A compelling and poignant tale of survival, secrets, and strong women that keeps readers engaged and page-turning. Anderson skillfully allows the struggles and triumphs of her characters to come alive on the page, creating an immersive experience of a challenging historical era.
While Anderson's debut novel, The Flower Sisters, was directly inspired by the real-life 1928 Bond Dance Hall explosion in her hometown of West Plains, Missouri, The Moonshine Women is a work of fiction. However, the setting and environment are deeply rooted in fact, whereas the specific story of the Strong sisters is a fictional creation designed to illustrate the lives of women in that turbulent time. I highly recommend both books from this master storyteller. An ideal pick for book clubs and further discussions.
Recs...
If you enjoyed the themes of strong women, family secrets, and the Prohibition era in The Moonshine Women, here are some other historical fiction novels you might enjoy:
~Hang the Moon by Jeannette Walls
~The Moonshiner's Daughter by Donna Everhart
~The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
~The Bootlegger's Daughter by Nadine Nettmann
~The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams
If you enjoyed The Moonshine Women, you will surely delight in the author's previous book, The Flower Sisters, also set in the Ozarks with family secrets and a real-life historical tragedy in the 1920s.
A special thanks to Kensington Publishing | A John Scognamiglio Book and NetGalley for graciously providing an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 31, 2026
Featured March #LitLiftMiniAuthorChats
