The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek: A Novel

The bestselling historical fiction from Kim Michele Richardson, this is a novel following Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her quest to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves, perfect for readers of Lee Smith and Lisa Wingate.

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Published May 7, 2019

320 pages

Average rating: 7.92

1,073 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

mpaetow
Mar 15, 2025
9/10 stars
Great Historical Fiction. Well researched. Wonderful book to reflect on our own bias. Great discussion on prejudices! Highly recommend for anyone who likes historical fiction. Kentucky history that can be used for any history class in any state! Some of Depression Era public works projects I wasn’t aware of!
ReadingBTWines
Dec 29, 2023
10/10 stars
One of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read. It was a heart warming, edge of your seat read that I couldn't put down. I can't wait to read the second book.
Sri’s BookShelf
Jun 29, 2025
9/10 stars
“The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” by Kim Michele Richardson Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” is inspired by true historical blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the courageous and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians. This book opened my eyes to an aspect of History (ie the existence of blue-skinned folks) that I didn’t know before which is fascinating! The story centers around a blue-skinned, 19 year old protagonist Cussy Mary Carter, resident of the treacherous mountains of Kentucky and daughter of a miner who’s a member of a clandestine, rebellious group that is stirring up dangers during the Great Depression. Cussy Mary joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian. Her passion to deliver books, magazines and other reading material to the isolated, mountain hill-folks of Troublesome is awe-inspiring as this role takes her on routes and creeks through the tranquil but perfidious mountains of Kentucky. Cussy Mary is incessantly discriminated against her skin color and faces the society’s scorn. The prejudices, challenges and hatred that she faces at such a tender age is quite heart-wrenching evoking a strong sense of sympathy within us. Her heart-aching journey in the mountains makes us weep with every twist and turn. Kim Richardson beautifully weaved together the pain of poverty, shame, scorn, abuse, loneliness and discrimination in order to create a transfixing story. Taking away one star because in my estimation, although the plot is captivating, few readers would find it difficult to navigate through the pages because of the not-so-engaging writing style. Readers would require a little extra patience in order to stay invested in the book. In my case, I’d say that the prologue and Cussy Mary just kept me going!
KKnutzen
May 23, 2025
8/10 stars
An interesting historical read. I hadn't never read anything like this before and enjoyed the story.
Cobbie
Apr 19, 2025
6/10 stars
3.75 stars. The 2nd half was better than the first. I felt like the book was preachy at times. (Preaching to the reader) I think that if the story was a bit stronger the reader could figure out for themselves the wrongs and injustice of the time and place.

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