Author Explores History, Race And Cigar Factory In Debut Novel
Polly Buxton
The acclaimed author Pat Conroy endeared himself to many readers, perhaps southerners most of all. His love for Charleston and the Low Country provided ongoing inspiration for his work. Shortly before he died last year, Conroy wrote the forward for “The Cigar Factory: A Novel of Charleston” by Atlanta-native Michele Moore.
In that introduction, Conroy wrote, “This is a large-hearted novel with a cast of characters wholly original in the vast, tempestuous literature of Charleston … Ultimately, it is the generous narrative of ‘The Cigar Factory’ that makes this novel transcendent.”
This is no small praise, particularly as “The Cigar Factory” is Moore’s first novel.
“I’ve heard that you have a question that you’re trying to answer to get through the journey of writing a full novel,” Moore said in an interview with Lois Reitzes. “And one of my questions has been about my father’s accent because he was from Charleston … And maybe trying to get to the roots of where that accent comes ended up being a central part of the novel.”
Moore will be talking about her novel Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Auburn Avenue Research Library.
9(MDAxODM0MDY4MDEyMTY4NDA3MzI3YjkzMw004))
Top Stories
