For the Bookworm
Book Review: The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Michele Richardson
Published: April 2019
Synopsis:
In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.
The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.
Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instil literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.
Inspired by the true and historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek showcases a bold and unique tale of the Packhorse Librarians in literary novels—a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson was recommended by a friend, and what an eye-opener it was! I had never heard of the Depression era library service in Kentucky, nor of a group of people whose skin was quite literally blue. A bit of help from Google helped me comprehend this tragedy of the 30’s. Along with such classics as John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a true must read if the period interests you.
It is difficult to read about a community so poor that people are starving to death in a country like America. Troublesome Creek really exists - look it up on Google maps. Blue skinned people existed, and despite being descended from European settlers endured bigotry and prejudice usually reserved for those of darker blood. Women were treated appallingly, and living conditions were deplorable. Add in a harsh and lonely environment in the wild mountains of Kentucky along with violence and desperation.
Nevertheless, the courageous and resourceful women who populate this novel have a sense of purpose and hope that make the book an uplifting and inspiring read despite its sadness and the poverty of the period.
A Google search of ‘the blue people of Kentucky’ and the “Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky’ will produce many hits, and if you also look up Images you will find fascinating pictures of the people and places depicted in this book.
I very highly recommend this most moving and informative novel.
Kath, Resident