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The Book Woman’s Daughter Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Honey Lovett

Honey Lovett is the protagonist in The Book Woman’s Daughter. This sequel to Kim Michele Richardson’s The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek reflects the past and warns against any return to a period of hatred of minorities. Furthermore, the novel exposes the dangers women faced then and today from men with misogynist leanings.

Plot of The Book Woman’s Daughter

Richardson opens her story with Honey Lovett and her parents saying their goodbyes. The elder Lovetts are about to surrender to the sheriff. They have been charged with violating miscegenation laws. Cussy Mary Lovett suffers from methemoglobinemia. So, her skin is blue and the laws in Kentucky forbade marriage between a person of white skin with any other colored skin.

As a minor, if found, Honey will be sent to a home or even worse, a work camp until she is twenty-one. Thus, Honey and Junia, the cantankerous mule, flee to Troublesome Creek. Once there, Honey faces a variety of problems mostly stemming from her gender. Old friends and new, support her in efforts to gain emancipation.

Overarching Theme

The Book Woman’s Daughter focuses on the plight of women in the 1950s. After World War II, women were expected to leave the workforce to the men. Richardson depicts this with female characters working as fire spotters and coal miners. These secondary characters encounter even more difficulties than Honey, who has taken her mom’s rural library delivery route.

While single women in the workforce are targeted by several male characters, they are not the only victims. A married woman ends up losing her life. Fortunately, the author includes several strong men as characters. This keeps The Book Woman’s Daughter from being a diatribe against males.

Recommendation for The Book Woman’s Daughter

While a sequel, this novel can be read as a stand-alone with just a few unexplained references to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Honey Lovett is a compelling character. And the secondary characters are well developed. The antagonist gets his due. Thus, the factors lead to a satisfying ending.

The Book Woman’s Daughter was released in 2022. But my local library did not acquire a copy until September 2024. The story is both entertaining and meaningful. I highly recommend it!

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Review

Posted on by Econogal

Kim Michele Richardson brings the proud and impoverished inhabitants of Eastern Kentucky to life in her latest work, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Even though a few liberties are taken with historical events, Richardson accurately portrays the bigotry towards the Blue people of Kentucky.

The Book Woman

Cussy Mary is the Book Woman. She has blue skin due to the genetics of methemoglobinemia. As part of the plot, her condition is discovered by researchers in Lexington and is tied to similar findings among Alaskan and American Natives. However, the reader needs to overlook the fact that the book has the scientific research done during the Great Depression. In actuality the work was not completed until the 1960s.

A nickname for Cussy Mary is Bluet. Her employer is the WPA as a Kentucky Pack Horse librarian. She faces danger in her work from both man and nature. The patrons along her route receive nourishment for their minds even as they face starvation. Cussy Mary is devoted to her work.

Racism and Poverty

Two key themes in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek are racism and poverty. The term coloreds in 1930s Kentucky lumped African-Americans and the Blues of Eastern Kentucky together. In the story. Cussy Mary and fellow book woman Queenie, who is African-American, look out for each other. Both characters manage to overcome the burden of racism. And both women also escape the abject poverty of the times.

Poverty is color blind. The fate of the Appalachian families during The Great Depression is sobering. Richardson is a master at pulling the heart strings while describing the starvation of the times. But she also has the reader cheering as her characters unite against the immoral legalities of the time.

A key outcome has the townspeople acting against injustice through the ballot box.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was released in May of 2019. Before the protests turned riots of 2020. Yet, the timeliness is incredible. I hope those that have protested lawfully read this book. Kim Michele Richardson speaks to social injustice eloquently. A cross section of society supports Cussy Mary. Furthermore, justice is meted through the ballot box. Something to keep in mind this election year.

So, I highly recommend The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. The writing is excellent. And the characters are compelling. This is a book worth reading and giving.