I loved this novel as I had The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. The author, Kim Michele Richardson, has that talent for writing a compelling plot and making the protagonists believable. ( I hope there will be a third book to continue the story of the Lovett family and the packhorse librarians of Kentucky. )

I particularly like books that weave actual history into the story being told.  I knew nothing about the program known as the Pack Horse Library Project which was under the Works Progress Administration. Librarians were paid $28 a month to bring books and other reading materials to families living in remote areas of Kentucky and other Appalachian states.

I also did not know about a strange blood disorder which caused the skin to be blue. The medical term for this condition is congenital methemoglobinemia.  Individuals with that condition were referred to as Blues and faced the same horrible laws of discrimination and prejudice as other minorities.

I highly recommend both novels. I even wrote down some of the books Honey Lovett would select for her patrons. Here are just a few:  The Poetry of Ezra Pound, Hitty, Her First 100 Years by Rachel Field, The Thunder of Silence by Irwin Cobb, The Doll’s House by Rumer Godden., and The Golden Book of Tagore. I love this quote by Tagore…”Faith is bird that feels the light and sings when the day is still in dark.” I want to read The Golden Book of Tagore. 

At our library, if I know our patrons’ reading tastes, I find it fun to suggest books they might like. The packhorse librarians, like Cussy and Honey Lovett did the same thing.  They matched books to the readers.

If you have read or will read these novels, I would like to know your thoughts.

One of our patrons, Linda Friedlander, has already been kind enough to share her opinion. “This shocking novel, a sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is another fascinating and heartbreaking revelation about the struggles of those who differ from ourselves. The Appalachian women in this story show strength, love and endurance against prejudice from men, the law, and even neighbors. Honey Lovett, “Book Woman” and main character, finds few friends while trying to educate isolated families in the 1950s. Consolation is found in animals, nature’s beauty, and occasional human generosity.”