The Book Woman’s Daughter (Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, 2)
Richardson delivers another beautiful, heartbreaking, yet uplifting tale of the scrappy women of Appalachia.
In 1953, sixteen-year-old Honey Lovett watches the sheriff haul her parents to jail for violating Kentucky’s miscegenation laws. Her mother—whose story is chronicled in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek—is one of the famous “blue” people of Kentucky. Considered “colored” under the law, Honey’s mother was prohibited from being married to Honey’s white father. To avoid being sent to the House of Reform—essentially a prison for children—Honey absconds with her mother’s faithful old mule and hightails it back to the family homestead in Troublesome Creek.
When the family friend she takes refuge with dies, Honey must prove that she can care for herself—a mighty task given that Honey has a mild case of methemoglobinemia, which causes her hands to appear blue, like her mother’s. With the support of the region’s first female firewatcher, Honey takes on her mother’s old packhorse librarian route, delivering books to the poorest residents of the Kentucky mountains. But when she angers the wrong man, she has to fight to preserve both her freedom and her life.
Packed with Appalachian history, The Book Woman’s Daughter examines women’s rights, extreme poverty, the treatment of minors, and the power of women helping women. Richardson doesn’t shy away from describing the difficulties and oftentimes horrors of life in mid-century Appalachia, but readers will be captivated by Honey’s courage and resourcefulness. The friendship between Honey and the woman firewatcher, Pearl, is delightful and provides several opportunities for readers to see a glimpse of teenage life in the early ´50s.
This novel can be read as a standalone, but don’t shortchange yourself by missing its equally stunning prequel. Highly recommended.
