The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is an atmospheric read that takes readers into the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930's. The story follows Cussy Mary Carter (or as the locals know her, Bluet), a 19-year-old young woman who works in the Pack Horse Librarian Project bringing books to back woods people in Appalachian Kentucky.

Bluet stands out for her big heart, her love of books and her blue skin. She is one of the Blue People of Kentucky, a group of people who were carriers of a genetic trait that caused methemoglobinemia, a blood disorder that turns skin blue. Through Bluet's eyes, readers witness prejudice against her, rampant poverty of the people she serves and how books connect people. 

This is a slow burn kind of read and two things stood out for me. First, Bluet, who shines in this book and is the heart of this book. She is a strong, resilient, and kind-hearted person who loves her job as a pack horse librarian. I also loved how Richardson vividly describes life in 1930's rural Kentucky and Kentucky's backwoods people's daily fight for survival - from extreme poverty to the constant threat of starvation, lack of education and life-threatening work in coal mines.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a good pick for book lovers who enjoy thought-provoking historical fiction with some heart that depicts an interesting era, peoples, and historical information. This is a story about resilience, prejudice and how one person and the power of books can make a huge difference to people's lives. 

Narration: This audiobook was free on Audible.ca and was narrated by Katie Schorr who did a great job bringing this story to life. 

My Rating: 4 stars

Author: Kim Michele Richardson

Genre: Historical Fiction (US)

Type and Source: eAudiobook from Audible.ca

Series: #1 in the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series

Narrator: Katie Schorr

Run Time: 9.5 hours

Publisher: Blackstone Audio Inc.

First Published: May 7, 2019

Book Description from GoodReads: 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, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a powerful message about how the written word affects people--a story of hope and heartbreak, raw courage and strength splintered with poverty and oppression, and one woman's chances beyond the darkly hollows. 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 historical first for the introduction of Pack horse Librarians in literary novels — a tale of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.