Author: Kim Michele Richardson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Published: May 7, 2019
Book Review: The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything―everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome’s got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter. Cussy’s not only a book woman, however, she’s also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble.
If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she’s going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.
Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman’s belief that books can carry us anywhere―even back home.
Rating: 4 Stars
Review: I have had this book on my shelves since this book has come out. What made me pull this was Reese Witherspoon’s November Book Club pick. I am not even going to mention the book, but I am sure most of you know it. There has been a ton of controversy on with the book she selected and the possibility of plagiarism. I personally decided to read the book that came out first, and I am glad I did.
This is a historical fiction, that I doubt many of us know about until now, the Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky, They traveled door to door to provide books for the people who lived in the more rural parts of Kentucky.
Not only do we learn of this group of women but also a disorder that afflicted people that made them appear blue. These people were classified as “colored” people at the time. This story centers around Cussy Mary Bluet. She is a librarian who suffers from this particular affliction.
I don’t want to give to much away in this book, but it was such a beautiful story. It has adventure, science, love and so much more. This was a thoughtful researched story, I definitely learned a lot reading this book. Well worth the time to read this debut author.
Obsessed Bookaholic 