How have I never heard of this wonderful author or the "bookwomen" program? This book explores a time in our history where "color" was a big part of what your future could be. And for many the color was black or brown or yellow, but blue. I enjoyed meeting Cussie and her trusty mule Junia.. Her strength and persistence to achieve a better life and push the limits of rules was refreshing and inspiring.

My thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek", a delightful book filled with historical information of a previously unknown group of the brave women who opened the lives of those who lived in the backwoods of Kentucky to the wonders of books and from that hope. That's what books do, you know. They encompass you, surrounding you with possibilities, hope, and dreams that you can be something you never expected. I hope ou enjoy this book as much as I did.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is sooo good. the history and the characters. The writing is so engaging. keeps you want to know the rest of the story.

Richardson creates a unique story of race in the mountains of Appalachia that makes the reader empathize and cheer for Cussy Mary.

This is a wonderful historical novel based upon the Book Women who delivered library materials to those in the out of the way sections of Kentucky. The book women were part of a program started by President Roosevelt under the WPA.

There are many book women in Troublesome Creek, Kentucky but the protagonist of the novel is the unforgettable Cussy. Cussy speaks in dialect which helps the reader to fully enter into her world. She faces special challenges because Cussy is the last of the 'blues.' There really were blue-skinned people in America as a supplement at the back of the novel attests. They were objects of curiosity and also of prejudice, just as was the case for the African American population.

Cussy wants to be independent both before and after her disastrous short term marriage. And yet, what will happen with patron Jackson who is one of the few to call Cussy by name, rather than the derogatory Bluet?

Cussy's love of books flows through the novel. There are references to books that were popular at the time, including those by Steinbeck and Rex Stout. Cussy's inventiveness in making books and delivering what her patrons need is impressive.

The landscape of rural Kentucky, the small towns, the mines, the mountains are all well described. Each patron that Cussy visits has a back story and readers will even come to learn more about the mule who transports her.

If you are a reader who enjoys historical fiction set in the U.S., consider this one. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Sourcebooks, for this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting story, learned quite a bit about the Blue Folk of Kentucky (mostly from my own research due to my curiosity, author did include a paragraph with more information in her notes) and the Pack Horse Librarians. I thought it was clever to mingle the two pieces of obscure history together in the story and thought both histories received equal attention. Net Galley Book. Would recommend. 3.5 stars

This is a fascinating book full of historical facts that I never knew before. I love discovering new information from my fiction reads!

The book woman of Troublesome Creek is someone very rare - a member of the blue people of Kentucky. This was real. As a result of inbreeding some people developed a rare blood condition which meant their skin was blue and their blood was brown. At a time when white was the only colour to be, these blue skinned people were shunned as 'coloured' and excluded from most things.

On the other hand our book woman, Cussy, was able to join the Pack Horse Library project as a travelling librarian which gave her whole life a purpose. Life for Cussy and everyone around her was truly hard - no money, no food, children starving to death as a frequent event. The book does not hold back.

I did wish the author had opted for a different ending. By that point I had had enough misery and I would have enjoyed a less traumatic finish. That's just me - I always love a happy ending. I am giving it four stars and recommend it for anyone who likes to discover new things from their historical fiction.

This is a must read, must keep book. A beautiful historical fiction, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, keeps true to the 1930’s period in Kentucky. The details of a life lived in abject poverty were stunning, and the need for reading and learning was keen in those desperate times. The book was based on information about the “Blue people,” a familial group of blue skinned individuals who suffered racial prejudice for their uniqueness and the famed book women, horse riding librarians who traveled far and wide to bring books to outlying families. I wish there were more stars to give this book.

I’m not a straight-up romance reader. I prefer books with a strong plot, deep characters, and a bit of slow-burning romantic chemistry. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek really met all of those qualifications. I learned so much about my home state of Kentucky while reading this book! First of all, did you know that blue people actually exist? Or that many remote areas did not have access to libraries in the 1930s. There was just so much to learn and love about this book.

Cussy Mary, the main character, is now securely lodged in my heart. She was absolutely precious….such a selfless, loving, beautiful woman. The people who supported her were endearing, too. From her papa to her patrons to her friend Queenie, the side characters had so much to offer. I BEG the author to continue this story as a series. I will be the first in line to pre-order! This book is one of my 2019 favorites.

Both delightful and informative. An informative and well paced novel. Eye opening in many ways. Excellent addition to any history class of this period.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
A Novel

by Kim Michele Richardson

SOURCEBOOKS Landmark

Sourcebooks Landmark

Historical Fiction

Pub Date 07 May 2019

I am reviewing a copy of The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek through Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley:

If you are looking for a good historical read loosely based on the Blue Skinned People Of Kentucky then The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek is a Book I would recommend for you.

The folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything everything but books. This is due to Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome now has its very own Traveling librarian, fussy Mary Carter!

Cussy is not only a Book Woman though, she’s also a woman whose skin is a shade of blue unlike most people’s. And not everyone welcomes Cussy and the library project and Blue is often blamed for any amount 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.

If you are looking for a good historical read with a strong female main characters then I recommend The Book Woman Of Troublesome Creek five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

I really loved Cussy and her indomitable spirit. Not only does she endure bigotry and fears directed at her because of her color, but she rises up against ignorance and superstition stemming from a lack of education and poverty. She demonstrates empathy and neighborly love for her patrons, often delivering not just books, but also much needed food and medicine at great cost to herself. This is a fascinating look the history of this unique library project, and also at the history of the blue-skinned people of Kentucky. It examines the heartbreaking conditions of the impoverished people living in the Appalachian Mountains at one of the most economically trying times in US history. And yet, it shows how powerful literacy can be in the face of xenophobia and fear; themes that resonate today. I highly recommend this one!

Cussy Mary and her dad (and her deceased mother) are Kentucky Blues, which makes them neither white nor black. Descendants of a white mountain girl and a French immigrant, they actually suffer from a genetic disorder that gives them a blue color to their skin. The 1940s of Kentucky are not kind to people of color and the Blues don’t fit into the white or black world. They are pariah.
Cussy Mary, a/k/a Bluet, has a coveted job through the WPA as a book woman for the library system. These librarians are a lifeline for the people of the hollows and hills as they travel their weekly routes delivering books, magazines and newspapers. They also give human interaction for some very isolated people. There is great injustice in this time period, in this setting. Poverty, hunger, racial issues and the mining industry are all explored. Great story to get readers to think about fellow humans.

It's 1936 and America is in the midst of the Depression. One of the hard hit areas is in rural Kentucky in the mountains. Work and food are scarce and entire families lose their lives to illness and starvation. The coal mines are still working but the workers are forced to work in terrible conditions and there are frequent problems that cause death to workers. Roosevelt has started the WPA (Works Progress Administration) which put many people to work. The Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky was part of the WPA and gave jobs to single women who delivered books and magazines to the impoverished people in the mountains.

Cussy Carter is a lonely 19 year old girl when she gets a job as a librarian carrying books to people. She is single, much to her father's dismay but she feels that she will never marry because of her blue skin. She enjoys reading and gets great joy in sharing reading material to people who have no way of getting it. She also enjoys the people on her route and becomes friends to many of them. When she goes into town, she is faced with discrimination. The sign NO COLOREDS ALLOWED, applies not only to the black residents but also the few blue residents who live in the area. (Goggle Blue people of Kentucky to find out more about this group of people.)

Cussy is a wonderful main character. Because of her love of books, she is happy to be providing reading material to other people. Due to her loneliness, she is able to identify with many of the people on her book route and makes them part of her life. The mountains of Kentucky are well described and make the story even more beautiful.

This is a wonderful story about love and family, acceptance and prejudice and importantly the love of the written word. It's this author's best book yet and I highly recommend it.

An absolutely beautiful, worthy read. The history of the Pack Horse Librarians is well chronicled along with the description of the depression times in the Appalachia Mountains. The hunger and hard life can be physically felt as your read through. You will fall in love with Cussy Mary the minute you meet her and her ups and downs will be yours as well. The other characters in the book are so well developed in just a few passages you will know them and some you will love, others you will despise. I could not stop reading and was sorry for this book to end.

This book grabbed my heart. It also broke it many times, but in the end was healed. I had no idea there were Blue People of Kentucky and this is one of the great things about historical fiction is providing information while giving you a great story as well. The author's note in the end was very much appreciated.

The main character, Cussy Mary also nicknamed Bluet was such a strong woman, particularly for the age during the Great Depression. There seemed to be no wrong in her and she put up with so much from the men and town around her, most of it just because of her skin color showing blue. This is a poignant tale, and recommended.

I love the imagery, the writing, and the setting of this book. A great read, especially for anyone interested in Appalachian history.

Thank you, Netgally and Sourcebooks, for the opportunity to read and review this novel!

1936, Troublesome Creek, KY

Cussy-Mary, known best to most as Bluet, is a dedicated Pack Horse Librarian in Troublesome Creek, KY. She loves her father, her books, but, most importantly, she loves bringing the written word, essentially a world of education, to her patrons, many of whom live tucked deep in the treacherous Kaintuck mountains. A woman so kind, so bright would be a true delight in any community, but Cussy-Mary lives in a world of segregation, where men and women of a different color are looked down upon and, in many cases, considered unclean. For Cussy, it is her blue skin that keeps her ostracized in a community she so desperately craves to be a part of. Despite her personal obstacles, she remains dedicated to the needs of her impoverished patrons, a fascinating group of individuals who accept her regardless of her skin color.

Racism, poverty, ignorance, and the sheer brutality of the Kentucky landscape help drive Richardson’s emotional rollercoaster forward. However, it is the personal connection the reader develops with this character that keeps you hanging on, hoping the tide turns, praying she will find the acceptance she deserves. The combination of this terrible fear and overwhelming hope make The Book Woman a true page turner.

I greatly respect the time Richardson took to research the Blue People of Kentucky, the Pack Horse Librarian Project, the coal miners, and the time period. Her work comes through, making the novel both captivating and informative. I cannot wait to see more from this talented author!

‘Their hunger for books could teach them of a better life free of the hunger, but without food they’d never live long enough or have the strength to find it.’

In the author’s words this book is “a fascinating and important footnote of history” detailing the blue-skinned people and the Pack Horse librarians, both of Kentucky - two things I had no knowledge of. Isn’t it fabulous when a unique story is created regarding a piece of history little known about? Add to that strong characterisation combined with themes of prejudice and poverty, and there is much to be gained from this read.

‘I liked my freedom a lot—loved the solitude these last seven months had given me—and I lived for the joy of bringing books and reading materials to the hillfolk who were desperate for my visits, the printed word that brought a hopeful world into their dreary lives and dark hollers. It was necessary.’

A fictional account, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, tells the story through the eyes of Cussy Mary - the supposed last of the blue-skinned people - how she became one of the travelling librarians and the relationships she develops with those to whom she delivers books. Mary’s world is a hard and cruel place, not only through the prejudice she endures due to her skin colour, but also because the hills of Kentucky were a rough and rugged place to live at that time. There is a lot of sadness and the writing delivers some heartbreaking moments:

“Why couldn’t you let him grow up?” I curled myself into a tight ball on the blood-soaked Kentucky soil, wailing for Henry and all the Henrys in these dark hollows who’d never be a common grown-up. Stuck forever as Peter Pans.

Mary’s story is engaging in itself, however, it’s the small glimpses into some of the secondary characters that really shed rays of hope, and at the other extreme, pure sorrow into the reader’s heart. There is some good writing here (if you can adjust to the southern accent) and it is well researched, not only the Pack Horse Library project, but also themes such as rural poverty, life of a coal miner, discrimination and more.

She latched on to my hand and laid the apology with a firm grip. I looked down at us bound together like that, tried to draw back, but Angeline squeezed tighter and whispered, “Hain’t no harm. Our hands don’t care they’s different colors. Feels nice jus’ the same, huh?”

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will in equal measures break and warm your heart. I struggled at times but with much to offer, I am happy I persevered. There is much to learn from history and of course at its heart, it’s a story about books and how, even in the toughest times, they can add a little light and pleasure.

‘... it was our first taste of what a library could give, a taste to be savored—one that left behind a craving for more.’



This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is a delightful read. It depicts life in the 1930's Kentucky mountains accurately. Richardson does a wonderful job of describing the difficulties of being a librarian in the pack horse program as well as being a blue person of Kentucky. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and look forward to more books by this author. Definitely a 5 star read! I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!