ECONOGAL

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.

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.

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.

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!