Miss McGhee

When Mary McGhee moved to a small Alabama town shortly after the Second World War she was sure she could change her life for good: a new job, a new place, a new life. But then she met Lila Dubose, the wife of her new employer and it seemed that she hadn’t really left anything behind her at all. They were still there—desires she couldn’t escape, fears she couldn’t control, and attitudes that threatened her every chance of happiness. Yet, Mary McGhee dared to challenge the belief that women had no place in business as she took over the operational reins of a neglected lumber empire and brought it into the new era of profitability. And in the face of homophobia and racism she dared to love a woman and openly provided jobs and financial aid for the blacks of her southern community. A true heroine of her time, Mary McGhee quietly faced her fears and the prejudice and ignorance around her to make a difference. Set in the shadow of the civil rights movement, Miss McGhee is a sweeping tale of forbidden love in a turbulent time. First-time author Bett Norris portrays one of the darkest and most troubling times in American history with exceptional skill and sensitivity.