The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel

Product Information

The characters: for a book this long, I would expect well developed characters and story lines, but again, that was not the case. All of the characters are two dimensional and surface level with not a single nuance between any of them. Everyone in this book is either a sinner (evil) or a saint (good) and there is no in-between. The only character who may have had a semblance of depth was the doctor, but that really read more as a split personality. I didn't care about any of them at all, because I didn't know any of them, even Cussy, whose head you're inside for the whole book! John went on, “The young’uns won’t do their chores, and yesterday, Martha Hannah was nearly an hour late with my supper. An Hour! Them books are doing that–surely making them lazy. The girls are letting the laundry an’ sewing pile up around their ears, and the boys are reading at the creek when they ought to be fishing and working the garden. Plumb can’t get ’em to work ’cause they’s so busy sitting and reading them foolish books you’re bent on bringing. And I can’t have it. Won’t have it.” a b c "Jojo Moyes Has Been Accused Of Publishing A Novel With "Alarming Similarities" To Another Author's Book". BuzzFeed News. 7 October 2019 . Retrieved 2020-10-20.

A “laugh out loud” passage recounts the feelings of a dad who wants to keep “the book woman” and her books away from his house because books are making his family lazy: Cussy, also called Bluet, was one of the Book Women who rode a mule through hills and valleys, along treacherous mountain ridges, and through streams. Sometimes she was shunned due to her blue skin, and women at her workplace treated her with prejudice and scorn. Some thought her colour was a sign of evil spirits or avoided touching her fearing that her condition might be contagious. Beautifully written and heartbreaking at times, this is a story I will never forget.” -Mary Patterson, The Little Bookshop

The writing was stunning. It engrossed me from the start and flowed so smoothly. The local language and slang seemed so true to the times - I could hear the drawl as I read. Cussy marveled at her opportunity to get rid of her blue skin, even with the high price she paid. The reactions of people around her were not what she thought they would be. Why is that? Would you have taken the medicine? Angeline: I loved her character for all of the ways she exemplified women I’ve met in KY over the years. Kind-hearted, joyful, sweet as can be, and singing while they work. 🖤

Aside from this minor weakness (from my perspective), this novel soared, and I am definitely interested in reading more of this writer’s work. I admit to both horror followed by tears of happiness and happy tears followed by horror over the time frame of this novel. The ending was excellent, except for one thing: by then I was so immersed in these people’s lives, I wanted to stay there and learn more of their stories. In addition to racism, Cussy also had to live in the confines of a sexist society. How did being a woman during this time period make her life more difficult? Coal miners were exploited, overworked long hours under dangerous conditions and were indebted to the company store. During the Great Depression, President Roosevelt initiated these book delivery activities, aiming to enhance people's lives. Many of the carriers were young women.If you like the whole meta thing with books that feature bookish topics, we have a whole list of books featuring books and manuscripts as the main narrative driver. This was posted two months before the Publishers Marketplace announcement of Richardson’s book and around the same time that Richardson’s manuscript was first submitted to various editors at Penguin Random House and other publishers. The NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kim Michele Richardson has written five works of historical fiction, and a bestselling memoir. This is my review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks. Meet the Author, Kim Michele Richardson I loved this story. It is hard to read sometimes, but there is so much to learn from Cussy’s experiences and from her character.

Though the atmosphere, storyline and writing is exceptional and unforgettable, the characters were simply outstanding for me in this novel. They got to me - whether it was me loving them, hating them or something in between - I connected. They were so real and emotion-inducing, I felt like I truly knew them. I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.” Cussy’s friend and patron, 16-year-old Angeline, is pregnant with her first child. Angeline and her husband Mr. Moffit live alone, as neither of them have any kin left in the area. She’s excited about having a baby, and she’s convinced it will be a girl. She plans to name it Honey. But when Honey is born, the baby is Blue. Mr. Moffit, it seems, is the illegitimate child of one of Cussy’s great-uncles; somehow, Angeline must also carry the recessive gene. Horrified by his child, Mr. Moffit hangs himself in the front yard on the day that Honey is born. Cussy finds him there while on her library route, and she rushes inside to find Angeline dying of a hemorrhage after giving birth. As she lies dying, she begs Cussy to raise Honey for her. a stirring testament to the crucial role that books can play in easing the pain of poverty and letting people imagine a different, more hopeful future." According to Sourcebooks publicity director Kaitlyn Kennedy, Sourcebooks’ legal team reviewed Richardson’s findings and determined that no legal action was necessary. Sourcebooks did give Richardson the option of seeking her own legal counsel, which Richardson says she cannot afford. Moyes’ novel The Giver of Stars, which comes out on Tuesday, Oct. 8, in the US and was published on Oct. 3 in the UK, has already been optioned for a film adaptation.Cussy, embodying "poverty," "womanhood," and the "color of her skin," becomes a significant target of discrimination in that era. Despite enduring societal pressures, her resolute determination to deliver books to people holds profound significance. The individuals receiving the books also nurture their hearts and minds through the written words. As one observes the gradual progress of these people in the novel, it's impossible not to contemplate the boundless power books possess.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson is a 2019 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. This story made me furious. In a perfect world, the prejudice that’s presented here would be firmly in the past. But, unfortunately, that’s not the case. Ignorance seems just as prevalent today as then. The book will tug at your heartstrings and bring forth a full range of emotions. Their hunger for books could teach them of a better life free of the hunger, but without food they’d never live long enough or have the strength to find it.” Cussy’s visits allowed the reader to see many different kinds of poverty in this region. How did it make you feel? Cussy/Bluet: I love how her character was developed. SO strong even in the face of trials over her blue skin and how women were looked at as widows etc. The ending of this story really is beautiful because of what Cussy did and who she took responsibility for. Truly a generous soul.Moyes lives in Essex, England, and her books, a mix of historical and contemporary fiction, have sold more than 38 million copies globally. Her 2012 novel Me Before You was adapted into a 2016 movie starring Emilia Clarke, directed by Mamma Mia director Ol Parker, who is also slated to direct The Giver of Stars film adaptation.