The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

 

“Kim Michele Richardson has written a fascinating novel about people almost forgotten by history: Kentucky’s  pack-horse librarians and “blue people.” The factual information alone would make this book a treasure, but with her impressive storytelling and empathy, Richardson gives us so much more.”

 Ron Rash, New York Times bestselling author of One Foot in Eden and Serena

 

“This is Richardson’s finest, as beautiful and honest as it is fierce and heart-wrenching, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek explores the fascinating and unique blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave Pack Horse librarians. A timeless and significant tale about poverty, intolerance, and how books can bring hope and light to even the darkest pocket of history.”

—Karen Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of Liar Temptress Soldier Spy

 

“Richardson’s latest work is a hauntingly atmospheric love letter to the first mobile library in Kentucky and the fierce, brave Pack Horse librarians who wove their way from shack to shack dispensing literacy, hope, and—just as importantly—a compassionate human connection. Richardson’s rendering of stark poverty against the ferocity of the human spirit is irresistible. Add to this the history of the unique and oppressed blue-skinned people of Kentucky, and you’ve got an unputdownable work that holds real cultural significance.”

—Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants