Carolina Built by Kianna Alexander

 Title:  Carolina Built

Author:  Kianna Alexander

Narrated by:  Shayna Small and Leon Nixon

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Length: Approximately 10 hours and 07 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster.  Thank-you!

 Josephine N. Leary was a real estate magnet in North Carolina after the Civil War.  Author Kianna Alexander brings her story to life in the novel Carolina Built.

 Josephine was owned by her own father.  She was emancipated after the Civil War and buys her first property after her marriage in 1873. She studies other real estate magnates and keeps working on building her portfolio.  She is a trained barber and runs the barbershop with her husband, Sweety.  They have two beautiful daughters and life seems to be going well for them until her business ambitions challenge Sweety’s manhood.  Will they be able to resolve their differences?

 The audiobook was narrated by Shayna Small and Leon Nixon as Josephine and Sweety telling their point of view in alternating chapters.  I was intrigued to learn about a new (to me) person in history.  I was a bit disappointed by the story though.  I was hoping for more on Josephine’s accomplishments and less on her domestic strife.  I was sad that Josephine and Sweety’s very happy marriage had such a break down. It seemed strange to me as Sweety knew she was an independent woman when they married.