Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Mary Angeline Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free.
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
Picking up her mother’s old packhorse library route, Honey begins to deliver books to the remote hollers of Appalachia. Honey is looking to prove that she doesn’t need anyone telling her how to survive. But the route can be treacherous, and some folks aren’t as keen to let a woman pave her own way.
If Honey wants to bring the freedom books provide to the families who need it most, she’s going to have to fight for her place, and along the way, learn that the extraordinary women who run the hills and hollers can make all the difference in the world.
Wow. Where to start. I read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek in a day and loved it so much that I immediately picked up the sequel and pretty much read it in a day as well. So good.
This story picks up ten or so years after the previous book ends. It could be read as a stand alone, but don't. Read the first one before you read this.
Honey is Cussy Mary's daughter and the story starts with her parents being arrested for miscegenation. Her mother is Blue and her father is White and at the time, the law forbade their marriage. They'd hidden for years in another area of Kentucky, but Cussy Mary and Jackson are finally arrested. Honey is sent back to Troublesome to live with old Retta, who becomes her guardian, and she fights to become emancipated rather than sent to a work house. But the jealousy and prejudice of others intervenes.
We see familiar faces return in this novel and welcome new ones in Pearl and Wrenna (and Tommie!) among others. And, as Honey returns to Troublesome, it becomes so apparent that Cussy Mary left a deep impression on the people there and most of them welcome Honey back with open arms.
She becomes a librarian, just like her mother and rides her mother's former packhorse route with their old mule, Junia. And like Cussy Mary, Honey is kind and compassionate, and fights against injustice.
And in rural, 1950s Appalachia, injustice is alive and well.
The people are still dirt poor, and fear stokes anger. Domestic violence is rampant as is general abuse of women. Honey experiences this as she tries to help a new friend and the story does not sugar-coat the heartache that comes because of abusive men.
But courage comes in many forms and thirst for knowledge and the power of books is immeasurable. Honey experiences frustration and fear, but also finds friendship and compassion as she hopes to be emancipated and be with her family again.
This was a fantastic sequel and I do hope that there is one more book to wrap up the Lovett's story.
Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book. You can find my review for The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek here.
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4/5 Stars
I didn’t know there was a sequel. Thanks for the review
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