The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

Grim, beautiful, gut-wrenching, incredibly courageous.

Because I am hypersensitive these days, I soon realized I could not read this at bedtime... too vivid and powerful. Which is usually a good thing, but not when most of the story is so painful.

There were a few details about how things would have worked in those circumstances that I had questions about, since the realism was almost its own character. But that's just me quibbling. It's a most moving read, VERY hard to put down, and 99% rang true.

I am SO thankful that this history was illuminated. And it certainly shifts one's perspective about what matters most in this life.

I learned a lot while reading this book, about the blue people of Kentucky, Appalachian culture, and more. The story was nicely told, if a bit predictable. It was an interesting look into something I hadn't known about before.

The Woman of Troublesome Creek follows a very determined Cussy Mary Carter as she rides the Kentucky hill country as one of President Roosevelt's Pack Horse Librarians in the 1930's. Through Cussy's library route, we meet a number of her patrons - getting a glimpse of the simple joys and the unending sorrow of life during the depression. We also get a look at how different people deal with what they fear and don't understand - as Cussy's blue skin and the prejudice she faces because of it are key parts of the story. This is an interesting and well-researched book that covers the Pack Horse Library Project, coal mining, rural poverty, and the rare disease, methemoglobinemia. It's a sad, tough read at times - but Cussy's strength, determination, and passion for books carries the reader through.