The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

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The Big-Hearted Blue Book Woman.  

What a book! This one will stay with me a long, long time. I won’t soon forget the kind and gentle Cussy, a woman who loves books and being a “book woman”—a pack horse librarian in the 1930s in the Kentucky mountains.  Although it’s a novel, it’s based on the factual Pack Horse Librarian program which ran from 1935-1943 delivering reading material to people in remote mountain locations who had no access to libraries. The program also provided much needed jobs to the women who rode horses or mules to their isolated patrons. Cussy has a true medical condition which gives her skin a blue tone, and for that she’s an outcast, harassed and discriminated against, a reminder of the injustices many people of color have suffered. Only those who eagerly await her deliveries can see past her skin color to see the genuine heroine she is.  A breathtaking book!

I loved this book so much, the moment I finished it, I handed it to my husband and urged him to read it. The book is gaining much attention and love all around.  Several people at the bookstore where I work have given it rave reviews and it’s landing on book club lists all over, including mine who have it slotted for reading later this summer.  Run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore or library to get a copy.  

If you’re interested in learning more about the Pack Horse Librarian Program, be sure to check out Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt and Jeanne Cannella Schmitzer.

Happy Reading!
Annette

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