The Kudzu Queen
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The Kudzu Queen
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Narrated by:
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Courtney Patterson
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Written by:
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Mimi Herman
About this listen
Longlisted for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
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.
What the critics say
"Courtney Patterson brings mid-century North Carolina to life with her narration of this coming-of-age story.... Patterson recounts town, family, and personal secrets at a slow pace that adds to the novel's dramatic effect. Her portrayals range from an oily salesman to a deadbeat father and a boy who is desperate to demonstrate his manhood. Always present is Mattie--hoping to make things right." (AudioFile; winner of AudioFile Earphones Award)