#BookReview The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson @writernwaiting @sbkslandmark

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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 bold and unique tale of the Pack horse Librarians in literary novels — a story of fierce strength and one woman's belief that books can carry us anywhere — even back home.

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I read The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson some years ago and I loved that book. So, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was a title that I was really looking forward to reading. I was intrigued by the fact that the main character, Cussy Carter, is the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry. Also, she worked on the Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky which of course intrigued me since anything concerning books and libraries are something I love to read about. An aspect I found interesting in this book is the racism towards the blue people, although nothing surprising when you think about it. She's counted as a colored just like anyone else that isn't white. It's saddening to read about, especially when she is given a cure, not a permanent cure. But, still, for a little while can she feel "normal". Alas, it leaves her terribly ill.

As for her job as a librarian. That part intrigued me how she with her trusty mule traveled long distances to lend books to people. How they loved getting new books, all the colorful folks that live in the mountains. And her comes Cussy, an outcast and they are looking forward to the books she brings. It's a book that sometimes is very sad to read not to mention that it sometimes made me angry, but it sure is a book that I recommend reading!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy for an honest review through Edelweiss!

#BookReview The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson (@KMRichardson_) @KensingtonBooks

The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Spanning several decades and written in an authentic voice both lyrical and wise, The Sisters of Glass Ferry is a haunting novel about small-town Southern secrets, loss and atonement, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.

Glass Ferry, Kentucky, is bourbon country. Whiskey has been a way of life for generations, enabling families to provide and survive even in the darkest times. Flannery Butler's daddy, Beauregard "Honey Bee" Butler, was known for making some of the best whiskey in the state, aged in barrels he'd take by boat up and down the Kentucky River until the rocking waters turned the spirits smooth and golden. Flannery is the only person Honey Bee ever entrusted with his recipes before he passed on, swearing her to secrecy as he did so.

But Flannery is harboring other secrets too, about her twin sister Patsy, older by eight minutes and pretty in a way Flannery knows she'll never be.

Then comes the prom night when Patsy--wearing a yellow chiffon dress and the family pearls--disappears along with her date. Every succeeding year on the twins' birthday, Flannery's mother bakes a strawberry cake, convinced that this is the day Patsy will finally come home. But it will be two tumultuous decades until the muddy river yields a clue about what happened that night, compelling Flannery to confront the truth about her sleepy town, her family's past, and the choices she and those closest to her have made in the name of love and retribution . . .

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Some books start off in a way that makes you just know that this book will work out very well. And, this beginning of this book with Flannery visiting her mother on her birthday and it's the twentieth one since Flannery's sister Patsy went missing. And, still, her mother expects that she will show up. This is the year, this time will Patsy return. And, yes this is the year patsy comes home, it's also the year Flannery finally will learn what happened twenty years prior, when her sisters Patsy disappeared...

I love reading books set in the American South and this one with two parallel storylines is a fabulous read. The book shifts effortlessly between the 70s and the 50s during the book and I found both storylines compelling. As Flannery learns about Patsy's fate in 1972 do we also get Patsy and Flannery's POV in 1952. It's a captivating and tragic story and I loved how part of me, despite pretty much knowing the outcome hoped that Patsy would come home. The ending of the book also revealed a big surprise that really took me by surprise. This is a book that is sad, but there are all lovely moments and I especially loved the last part of the book because I hoped that Flannery would find some peace and joy in her life.

The Sisters of Glass Ferry is a fantastic book and I hope to get the chance to read the authors other books!

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with a free copy through NetGalley for an honest review!

#CoverCrush The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michele Richardson

For new visitors do I want to explain that Cover Crush is something that my friend Erin over at Flashlight Commentary came up with and I adopted the idea together with some other friends. And, now we try to put up a Cover Crush every week. You can check below my pick of the week for their choices this week!

Spanning several decades and written in an authentic voice both lyrical and wise, The Sisters of Glass Ferry is a haunting novel about small-town Southern secrets, loss and atonement, and the unbreakable bond between siblings.

Glass Ferry, Kentucky, is bourbon country. Whiskey has been a way of life for generations, enabling families to provide and survive even in the darkest times. Flannery Butler's daddy, Beauregard "Honey Bee" Butler, was known for making some of the best whiskey in the state, aged in barrels he'd take by boat up and down the Kentucky River until the rocking waters turned the spirits smooth and golden. Flannery is the only person Honey Bee ever entrusted with his recipes before he passed on, swearing her to secrecy as he did so.

But Flannery is harboring other secrets too, about her twin sister Patsy, older by eight minutes and pretty in a way Flannery knows she'll never be.

Then comes the prom night when Patsy--wearing a yellow chiffon dress and the family pearls--disappears along with her date. Every succeeding year on the twins' birthday, Flannery's mother bakes a strawberry cake, convinced that this is the day Patsy will finally come home. But it will be two tumultuous decades until the muddy river yields a clue about what happened that night, compelling Flannery to confront the truth about her sleepy town, her family's past, and the choices she and those closest to her have made in the name of love and retribution . .

Some thoughts about the cover:

I find the cover for The Sisters of Glass Ferry is very intriguing with the two women standing in the field as the sun goes down/or up? For me is it going down, but perhaps you see it otherwise. All I can say that the blurb and the pretty cover really make me wanna read the book!

Check out what my friends have picked for Cover Crush's this week:

Stephanie @ Layered Pages

Heather @ The Maiden’s Court

Holly @ 2 Kids and Tired Books

Colleen @ A Literary Vacation

Meghan @ Of Quills & Vellum

Erin @ Flashlight Commentary

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