THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
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 … 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.
Fans of historical fiction will fall in love with this bestselling novel’s:
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The characters were very well written and it was a tough story.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Although fictional, it gave true facts about one of Gods natural oddities.
I had never heard of the Blues of Kentucky. It made me think about how easy my life was compared to many people of this world.
What an amazing piece of history. Shows me how a book brings me into a different time and place in the our country. How women struggled for rights and opportunities to keep their families safe. Well researched and written.
I learned about the Blue people of Kentucky, a subject I knew nothing about, and was moved by the story of one woman’s fight to bring literacy, hope, and equality to the forgotten poorest of the poor in the Kentucky coal mining hills.
Incredible historical fiction!
Loved this book. It stayed with me for some time after I had finished it. The subject matter was not familiar to me prior to reading. The author did a fantastic job weaving the story of “blues” and the pack horse librarians.
Historically accurate. strong characters,well defined
Fascinating look at a world that was totally unknown to me. Three brand new things that I learned about…and I must admit, the Author’s Note at the end was just as interesting as the entire novel!…made this completely worth my time.
1. The Bookwoman was a WPA project, bringing books, newspaper, magazines, and literacy itself to the Appalachian people of Kentucky in the ’30s. Although there were a few men, the mostly female corps traveled by horse or mule over risky terrain in all kinds of weather, visiting homes and schools and brought more than just “loans,” they also delivered mail, read to people who couldn’t read themselves, taught some how to read, helped out with some small tasks on their route, and provided a friendly face where people were isolated.
2. Blue people. When this first appeared in the story, I assumed it was a figment of the author’s imagination, but no…methemoglobinemia is a real thing, and so is its cure.
3. Courting candles! What a fun premise for a zillion romance novels. ‘Nuff said there.
And that’s not even touching on the union issues and comments on civil rights of the day. And pie dance!
So after reading a lot of people’s comments about this book, I understand why some people weren’t sure they liked it. You get sucked into a story, fall in love with the characters, and want a certain type of ending. But life isn’t all lollipops and rainbows, and a realistic ending doesn’t necessarily ruin an entire book; in my mind, it enhances it. Unlike a Danielle Steele novel, where you can almost predict what the character is going to say next, this one is more like life itself: you don’t know what’s around the next bend until you go there and take a look.
To sum up: a thoroughly engaging read, where you enjoy the characters, learn something along the way, and then learn even more from the notes and photos.
I loved this book and have recommended it to several friends, given it as gifts, and will be reading it as our book club pick. The author did a wonderful job researching both the Pack Mule Library Program and the genetic condition which caused a blue coloring of the skin. The characters were all so well developed and memorable. A story to treasure and one I won’t forget.
I recommend this book but it isn’t easy ready. The abject poverty and misery is hard to take but the story is inspirational. I especially like the end of the book when the author explains all the circumstances
It was a good read and I learned some things about the blue people and also the traveling library via horseback.
Excellent view of the life in the poorest hollows of Kentucky.
Very worth the read
Very similar to Moyes’ Giver of Stars. I enjoyed them both and learning about the Blues.
I love it when I learn something real from fiction. The author’s research into both the WPA Book Women and the Blue People was a fascinating history I wasn’t aware of. Her characters are authentic with realistic lives.
This is a wonderful book. You learn so much about Kentucky and the Appalachian area. The poverty is tremendous and heartbreaking. You love some of the characters and wonder how others can be so hateful and prejudice. Read and enjoy a great book.
So many people recommended this book to me, and rightly so, it’s a gem of a read striking that perfect balance between heartache and hopefulness, capturing the spirit of the tough folks who made the unforgiving Kentucky Mountains their home.
Cussy “Bluet” Mary is the last of her kind, the Blue-Skinned Kentuckians, and a packhorse librarian who delivers reading materials deep into the mountains. She wins the trust of the hardworking mountain folk, while fighting for her place as a “colored”, and giving people hope through literature.
I loved the culture rich way this book was told, and how Cussy shows rather than tells what life in the mountains is like and the challenges that its people face, through the various characters. I loved Cussy’s passion for reading, and how it helped brighten the difficult lives of those around her.
In this book we see a lot of good and bad in the same characters, I started this book not liking Cussy’s Pa, but over time he proved that he just wanted a good life for his daughter, even if sometimes he didn’t know how to give it to her. I loved the stubbornness of the mountain folk, and their pride. I also appreciated how faith was shown in both positive and negative ways in Cussy’s live, she had both good and bad examples of Christianity, and her own moments of honest doubt, the balance felt realistic and relatable.
Overall, this was a highly enjoyable read that brought real Christy vibes with the honest representation of the tough mountain folks, and their pride. There are some adult themes, and instances of strong language, but it all fit into the narrative of the story and wasn’t there for simply shock value. I loved how this book had a driving aura of hopefulness throughout, despite the heartaches and cruelty of mountain life, with an honesty of the human condition. One of my favorite reads this year, with so memorable characters, and a truly unique and inspiring heroine.
Opinions are my own. All books reviewed here are either bought by myself, borrowed from a friend, or checked out from my local library, unless otherwise stated.
The story takes place in Troublesome Creek, KY in the 1930’s. Blue-skinned 19 year old Cussy Mary “Bluet” Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. Bluet joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her mule delivering books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
I enjoyed this book a lot! We experience the hardships of her family’s life, racism in the 1930’s, her father’s wants of marrying her off, and the consequences of events. All Bluet wants is to be a Book Woman, meeting the needs of her patrons gaining their trust and ultimately their love.
A tear-jerking novel with a happy ending. Wonder characters, the star of which I will love forever.