Series Name: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, #2

Review By Veronica

The Book Woman’s Daughter is a remarkable story that readers will never forget.

Favourite Quote:

“I looked over at the lawman’s automobile, my stomach stitched in knots. Mama’s hands trembled as she reached into my coat pocket, pulled out a pair of gloves, and handed them to me. She’d been knitting these to hide my blue skin and to keep me, the last of our kind, hidden from the rest of the world. Papa, wanting to contribute, had stitched me black leather ones to switch out. They were my armor, a shield against folk who hunted the Blues.”

Goodreads Synopsis: 

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 that 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.

This is one of those books where you have to stop to think about what you just read. Kim crafted a beautiful, well-researched, and heartfelt story. In this book, we follow the story of Honey, who is blue-skinned, just like her mother. Honey is forced to flee when her parents are arrested because they broke the law by being married. Readers get to follow as Honey tries to find her place in Troublesome Creek. Honey’s journey will bring out a wide range of emotions in readers. There were moments in this book when I cried, laughed with joy, or was filled with rage. Honey is a remarkable character with so much depth, and you will find yourself rooting for her and her quest to be free.

I was fascinated with the history of blue-skinned people and life in Kentucky during the 1950s. It was refreshing reading something outside of the WWII era. Kim does a great job at shedding light on some tough issues that existed in the 1950s. Women had few rights and were treated deplorably, racism against blue-skinned people was rampant, and child abuse often went unpunished. Even though Kim spends a lot of time focusing on these issues, her book isn’t all doom and gloom. There are good people in this book who stand up to the injustices in society. I just loved that sense of community that many of the women exhibited in this book. They support each other and help navigate the dangerous world they live in.

What drew me to this book was the focus on books and readers of books. Throughout this whole story, there is this message of how books can change a person’s life and the power they have in our world. I just loved how books were used as a tool to bring people together and create a sense of community. People young, old, rich, and poor all adore reading and are thrilled that Honey has taken the role of delivering books.

I have to admit; I hadn’t realized this was the second book in a series. This book can be read on its own; I understood everything that was going on, and not reading the first book didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this book.   That being said, I will definitely be reading the first book because I love Kim’s storytelling abilities. I also want to read Cussy’s (Honey’s mother) story.

The Book Woman’s Daughter is a heartfelt and moving book that will remind readers why they read. 

Thank you Harper Collins Canada for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.