The Book Woman's Daughter: A Novel

In the 1930s, Franklin D Roosevelt set up many programs to bring jobs to under employed areas of the country. This book tells the story about Cussie Mary Carter, who in her teens became a Rural Librarian at Troublesome Creek. It is a story of hardship and overcoming that hardship to build a better life for herself and her family. There are many poignant stories, including racial prejudice against Cussie Mary as she was one of the Blue people of Kentucky (look up this, for many generations a genetic enzyme defect created people who had blue skin). The books shares stories of great sadness during those tough times and hope for a new generation. Excellent read and compelling writing. Thank you to Kim Michele Richardson for a realistic story about the mountains of Kentucky and the stuggles people faced.

This is the sequel to the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and tells the story of Honey, the book woman's daughter and her fight for freedom and emancipation. It delved into a part of history that is often forgotten about - one where women were often treated as second class citizens. I enjoyed this one as much as the original. I am looking into more from the author because Kim Michele Richardson tells a very good story.

The Book Woman’s Daughter A Novel By: Kim Michele Richardson Publish Date: 3 May 2022 Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark, Sourcebooks Landmark Women’s Fiction 100 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader I would like to thank both NetGalley and Sourcebooks for allowing me to read and review this book. Sorry it took me so long in doing so. Good Reads Synopsis: B͏ests͏ell͏іng͏ h͏іstor͏іcal͏ f͏іct͏іon͏ author͏ K͏іm͏ M͏іch͏el͏e͏ R͏іchardson͏ ͏іs͏ back͏ w͏іth͏ th͏e͏ p͏erf͏ect͏ book͏ club͏ r͏ead͏ follow͏іng͏ Hon͏ey͏ Lov͏ett,͏ th͏e͏ daught͏er͏ of͏ th͏e͏ b͏elov͏ed͏ Troubl͏esom͏e͏ book͏ woman,͏ who͏ must͏ f͏іght͏ for͏ h͏er͏ own͏ ͏іnd͏ep͏end͏enc͏e͏ w͏іth͏ th͏e͏ h͏elp͏ of͏ th͏e͏ wom͏en͏ who͏ gu͏іd͏e͏ h͏er͏ and͏ th͏e͏ books͏ that͏ s͏et͏ h͏er͏ fr͏e͏e. In͏ th͏e͏ rugg͏edn͏ess͏ of͏ th͏e͏ b͏eaut͏іful͏ K͏entucky͏ mounta͏іns,͏ Hon͏ey͏ Lov͏ett͏ has͏ always͏ known͏ that͏ th͏e͏ old͏ ways͏ can͏ mak͏e͏ a͏ hard͏ l͏іf͏e͏ hard͏er.͏ As͏ th͏e͏ daught͏er͏ of͏ th͏e͏ fam͏ed͏ blu͏e-sk͏іnn͏ed,͏ Troubl͏esom͏e͏ Cr͏e͏ek͏ packhors͏e͏ l͏іbrar͏іan,͏ Hon͏ey͏ and͏ h͏er͏ fam͏іly͏ hav͏e͏ b͏e͏en͏ h͏іd͏іng͏ from͏ th͏e͏ law͏ all͏ h͏er͏ l͏іf͏e.͏ But͏ wh͏en͏ h͏er͏ moth͏er͏ and͏ fath͏er͏ ar͏e͏ ͏іmpr͏іson͏ed,͏ Hon͏ey͏ r͏eal͏іz͏es͏ sh͏e͏ must͏ f͏іght͏ to͏ stay͏ fr͏e͏e,͏ or͏ r͏іsk͏ b͏e͏іng͏ s͏ent͏ away͏ for͏ good. P͏іck͏іng͏ up͏ h͏er͏ moth͏er’s͏ old͏ packhors͏e͏ l͏іbrary͏ rout͏e,͏ Hon͏ey͏ b͏eg͏іns͏ to͏ d͏el͏іv͏er͏ books͏ to͏ th͏e͏ r͏emot͏e͏ holl͏ers͏ of͏ Appalach͏іa.͏ Hon͏ey͏ ͏іs͏ look͏іng͏ to͏ prov͏e͏ that͏ sh͏e͏ do͏esn’t͏ n͏e͏ed͏ anyon͏e͏ t͏ell͏іng͏ h͏er͏ how͏ to͏ surv͏іv͏e.͏ But͏ th͏e͏ rout͏e͏ can͏ b͏e͏ tr͏each͏erous,͏ and͏ som͏e͏ folks͏ ar͏en’t͏ as͏ k͏e͏en͏ to͏ l͏et͏ a͏ woman͏ pav͏e͏ h͏er͏ own͏ way. If͏ Hon͏ey͏ wants͏ to͏ br͏іng͏ th͏e͏ fr͏e͏edom͏ books͏ prov͏іd͏e͏ to͏ th͏e͏ fam͏іl͏і͏es͏ who͏ n͏e͏ed͏ ͏іt͏ most,͏ sh͏e’s͏ go͏іng͏ to͏ hav͏e͏ to͏ f͏іght͏ for͏ h͏er͏ plac͏e,͏ and͏ along͏ th͏e͏ way,͏ l͏earn͏ that͏ th͏e͏ ͏extraord͏іnary͏ wom͏en͏ who͏ run͏ th͏e͏ h͏іlls͏ and͏ holl͏ers͏ can͏ mak͏e͏ all͏ th͏e͏ d͏іff͏er͏enc͏e͏ ͏іn͏ th͏e͏ world. Pra͏іs͏e͏ for͏ Th͏e͏ Book͏ Woman’s͏ Daught͏er. Book Review: I really enjoyed this book, and I gave it 4 stars. I still liked her first book better than this one. I like how she finished up the story line with Cussie and Mr. Lovett. I also like how they took an orphan and made her their own. This book is about the daughter they took in and raised her like their own. Well, they did end up adopting her. Kentucky is very strange in their beliefs, and they don’t like anyone who is different than them. Cussy and Honey are known as blue people because of a rare gene in their blood. There is nothing wrong with them or contagious. It just makes them different. In fact, the people are more afraid of them than blacks. With that being said the book opens with the parents being sent to court and then jail. They have been able to hide Honey for a while but now the court is looking for her. They sent her to live with Miss Loretta up in Troublesome. While there Honey takes on the job as a packhorse librarian to help her earn some money. Something happens to Miss Loretta which leaves Honey on her own. This is the story how she takes care of herself, animals and her friends whom she makes on her route. I love the friendships made in this book and how everyone pulls together to help her out. She learns a lot and stands up for herself in a time when that is unheard of. I recommend that you read this book but make sure you read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek first, so you get the full picture.

I know the beginning of this review may not make sense, but I'm pretty certain if you can ride it out, you’ll soon begin to understand the cohesiveness of it. In all my book title reviews, I always list when it's a library loan. I wouldn't be able to read the amount I do, if it wasn't for libraries, and the Kindle Unlimited subscription, thankful I can afford this small pleasure as well. Being somewhat of a shut-in due to medical conditions, I wouldn't know what to do with my entire day, 365 days out of the year. Although, on good days, I have hobbies I participate in, there's many more days I'm held back from doing so. The reason I mention this, is I understand to a certain degree, what it would be like to have no access to books, and can't imagine living in the time period these 2 books are written from. I would've definitely been a patron to one or another Book Woman for sure. I can also comprehensively relate to what it's like to be discriminated against for being different. First off, growing up in poverty, with 7 siblings, 2 parents, 2 grandparents, and at times 2 cousins, all living under 1 roof, I also comprehend the desire of escaping, dreaming, losing, and more importantly, finding myself through books provided by the library. I still to this day, distinctively remember taking a school field trip to the library, at a very young age, and being signed up for my very own library card, and being told I could check out pretty much an unlimited supply of books-for free! I thought I was dreaming, or missing some key piece of information, that the Librarian just wasn't sharing with my 5 year old self. My love affair with the library system has continued forward, from that day on. Richardson is a master at putting down the written word, to where it draws you in, provoking the reader to appreciate whatever scene is currently unfolding at the time. The reader is left to feel as if they're capable of extracting the experience and the atmosphere in remarkably genuine and authentic terms, as if one is actually part of the written scenes, plots, and sentiments. I'm extraordinarily meagerly on handing out 5 star reviews. This masterpiece, and the 1st, are highly deserving of a 5 star review. This duology is recommended to everyone who enjoys reading, regardless of their preferred genre.

I loved The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and found this book to be as good or better! Everyone needs to read Kim Michele Richardson's books.

I am always looking for a book that will take me on a journey to a new place and a different life. This was it. I will miss spending time with the characters I grew to love along the way.

I read this novel immediately after The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek to find out what would happen to this group of highly unusual "blue" characters in rural Kentucky. This book is Honey's story of how she must learn to care for herself and protect her secrets when she is cut off from all her loved ones. As such, much of Honey's narrative involves her saying how much she misses her parents, and that became a little repetitive. Also, the references to the prior novel (to establish context in this novel) were repetitions of some of the scenes and conversations. These aspects slowed down what is otherwise a solid and interesting story with elements of friendship, romance and suspense. While BWTC did a masterful job addressing the Blues of Kentucky and the plight of the Appalachian residents in general, BWD focuses much more on the women of this rural world and the many challenges they faced. Honey and her new female friend represent strength, courage and a desire to promote opportunity and security for women in an uncertain world, but there are many female characters from traditional to modern, and from empowered to abused. Once again, Richardson creates memorable and individual characters that we care about, and presents ideas about inequities with empathy and in context. The ever-present books and magazines of the Pack Horse Library Program are threads that tie the community together and lift people up from their circumstances. A wonderful bonus is the Author's Notes section with pictures of local women from the era of the book, whose stories are represented in the novel in some form. A note about the audiobook: Katie Schorr's twang brings Honey's character and the local speech style alive and draws the reader in to the world of the novel with good energy and emotion.

I read 'The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek' a few years ago and loved the book by this author. I was excited to read the sequel which took place 16 years later in 1953. The story is set in Kentucky and begins with Cussy, William, and Honey in hiding. Kentucky law, at that time, forbid their marriage because it was a violation of miscegenation laws. Cussy was a bluet( a blood disorder known as Methemoglobinemia, which caused skin to turn blue) and William was a non blue. They adopted Honey as a baby when Honey's mother(also a bluet) died at childbirth. Honey also carried the 'blue' gene, although it only showed up in her hands. Cussy was a pack horse librarian( bringing books to isolated areas in the Appalachians by horse or mule). During this time, the Blue people were mistreated and abused. Her parents are jailed due to the violation of the law. Honey, a minor, is not old enough to live alone without a guardian. Orphans at that time were sentenced to children's hard labor prison until age 21. She is determined to stay free and desires to be a book woman like her mother. This book is mainly about her quest for independence while her parents serve their time in prison. She faces many trials along the way. The story is filled with characters that you will like and dislike. It is such a powerful tale of courage and resilience in harsh circumstances. I thought this book was really good and I would recommend it for reading.

This book follows on from “Book woman of Troublesome Creek” and is a well woven story & facts of the persecution of the blue people of the Appalachian mountains and the misogyny prevalent at the time.

Great book. Did not know that Kentucky history. Looking forward to the sequel. ( Book Woman's Daughter) ...have it just not read yet.

I loved the author's descriptions of the settings and characters in this book. They carried me to another time and place. I was inspired by and hopeful for Honey and the sisterhood that surrounded her.

Another brilliant read. I learn so much from these stories. The history, the atmosphere of the places and I can feel the people’s worries, fears, joys and friendship with each other. The research done brings reality to life.

This book is the sequel to The Book woman of Troublesome Creek. It taught me a lot about pack horse librarians, Kentucky blue people, woman miners, and the difficulties of working women in the 1950’s in Kentucky. It is a very interesting read. I highly suggest you grab a pen and paper to keep track of all the characters, because they come back time and again in this librarian’s adventures!