Fiction Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

When my book group recently chose The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michelle Richardson, I thought, "Oh, OK, might be kind of interesting." I wasn't super excited and expected something light and shallow. Wow, was I wrong! I was completely engrossed in this novel from the first pages, with its fascinating historical background (in multiple topics), in-depth characters, and emotional depth.

In 1936, nineteen-year-old Cussy Mary Carter lives alone with her Pa in a remote, rustic cabin deep in the wooded hills of eastern Kentucky. Her Pa works in the coal mines and knows he is dying from the lung disease that takes most miners, so he feels an urgency to find Cussy a husband so that she will be taken care of after he's gone. But Cussy feels no such urgency. She is perfectly happy on her own, caring for her Pa and the cabin and working as a librarian for the Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, part of the WPA. She loves her job and is proud of playing a role in bringing literacy and books to her neighbors, many of them even more remote and isolated than her and Pa. Most of her customers are equally happy to see her arrive on her mule, with panniers filled with books, magazines, and homemade local scrapbooks. For some of them, Cussy is their only link to the outside world, and she has even taught some of them to read. While her customers are mostly grateful to her, the rest of the local town treats Cussy and her Pa as outcasts because they come from a line of blue-skinned people. Her Pa says she is the last of their family born with blue skin, which is a blessing because they suffer from terrible discrimination and outright abuse. In addition, even at peace out in the woods on her mule with her books, Cussy has to be constantly on the alert for danger, including a cruel, abusive preacher who wants to "save" her (based on past history, he more likely wants to get rid of her). Finally, the doctor in town is generally kind to Cussy and her Pa, but he wants them to submit to invasive procedures and experiments, so he can get to the bottom of the cause of their blue skin and maybe become famous in the process. As you can see, Cussy has a lot to deal with, but she is a happy, determined, strong young woman who stands up for and protects her customers and others in her community.

There is just so much depth to this novel! It was an excellent choice for book group discussion, with many different topics to dissect. The historical details are extensively researched and woven into the compelling narrative: the Pack Horse Project, the blue people of Kentucky (yes, they were real!), and the devastating effects of the Depression on this already very poor region. Given the abuse and bias Cussy endures and the challenges her whole community faces, there are some very tough topics covered in this story, ranging from domestic abuse to sexual assault to racism to poverty. But there are also moments of joy, especially in Cussy's daily journeys up into the hills on her mule with her reading materials. These were my favorite parts of the book, as the joy and light that Cussy brings to her neighbors was highlighted. She reads the Bible to one blind woman, brings the children in the tiny, poor school out into the yard yelling with joy when they spot her, and even convinces one anti-book husband to relent and allow his wife and children to read. Cussy herself endures many, many challenges and tragedies throughout the story, but the pleasure of books and reading counters that sadness with delight. I was completely riveted by this novel and never wanted it to end. I definitely want to read its sequel, The Book Woman's Daughter.

320 pages, Sourcebooks Landmark

Blackstone Audio

This book fits in the following 2022 Reading Challenges:

 Monthly Motif Challenge - Book Lovers Unite - perfect choice!

Diversity Challenge

Literary Escapes Challenge - Kentucky

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Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible. It sounds excellent!

 

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