*Got this one from Netgalley, sharing my true opinions here.

This is Christian historical fiction at its finest. Set in the 1930s, it addresses prejudices, stereotypes, life during the Great Depression, and the healing power of a ‘kill’em with kindness’ attitude.

As far as books about libraries and librarians go, having a library situated inside a former smokehouse that reeks of ham, was ingenious, and makes me hungry when I think of it.

I was blown away by the determination Addie showed in doing the right thing, the kind thing, no matter the difficulty or the odds of success. Her transformation from relatively care-free to responsible adult was beautiful.

Bettina was something else entirely, but as a product of her circumstances, totally believeable!

I can never resist a book about books, libraries or librarians. This is a charming, historical novel about a traveling librarian and it did not disappoint. This book is cozy and heartwarming, but also filled with faith. I loved the main character Addie. I really identified with her.

Another jewel from Kim Vogel Sawyer! Set in coal country in rural eastern Kentucky in 1936, this heartwarming, inspiring read combines jealousy, prejudice, ignorance, superstition, distrust, grudges, and abuse tempered with love, forgiveness, compassion, family bonds, and a little romance. This book caught my attention from the beginning and held it to the end. The plot flows at a steady pace with a few surprises here and there! The characters are engaging and believable. Although I enjoyed the main characters, Addie and Emmett, my favorite ones were Nanny Fay and Damarias with their strength, advice, and encouragement. I also loved the strong faith element that permeates the story especially how Addie lives out the Golden Rule. Ms. Sawyer’s research and descriptions of the historic WPA Packhorse Library Project and the people it helped, expressively reflect the spirit of the Great Depression Era. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-researched, well-crafted story and highly recommend it. I would love to see a sequel showcasing a spiritual journey and romance for Bettina.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via netgalley but am under no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions are my own.

Loved this novel with some totally unexpected twists & turns. Such a reminder of God's hand on our lives.

I will never pass up the opportunity to read a book by Kim Vogel Sawyer! I have read the other packhorse librarian books that have been published in the past year and I've enjoyed all of them. This one was was great too! Kim always draws you right into her stories and I was immediately rooting for Addie and Emmett. The side characters of Nanny Fay, Bettina (Addie's co-worker) and Emmett's little brother Dusty also help make this a book you won't forget!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review.

I've read several books by Kim Vogel Sawyer and this is my favorite so far! It describes people who love books in a way that the booklover in me can totally identify with.

Addie Cowherd has to table her plans to complete college and become an author in order to help support her parents. It is the middle of the depression and work is hard to find. Recent college graduate, Emmett Tharp is finding the same problem. Even with a degree, he ends up back home considering working in the mines with his father. Both Addie and Emmett end up in the backwoods of the Appalachians (it is Emmett's hometown).
I can't say much more without giving away the story, but they work together to solve problems and help the citizens of Boone's Hollow.

I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from the publisher. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

From Sawyer comes a novel full of humor, adventure, and romance. The story follows Addie Cowherd while she tries to find a job to support herself and her parents in the wake of the Great Depression. Her search leads her to Boone's Hollow, where she works delivering books to a town that hates newcomers.

I loved this book for Addie transformation throughout the novel, along with the comedy of following the perspective of Bettina, another book deliverer in Boone's Hollow. I found that all of the characters had strong voices, each distinct from another yet true to their motives. This is a Christian novel that would be a great read for fans of romance and humor.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 5
Pace: 4
Plot development: 5
Characters: 5
Enjoyability: 5
Ease of Reading: 5

Overall rating: 5 out of 5

I read The Giver of Stars about seven months ago and I think it colored my perspective of this one because I really enjoyed Jojo Moyes' book. I didn't didn't realize going in that this is a very faith-focused book (and there is nothing wrong with that, I just didn't know based on the description). Maybe an updated description would be beneficial? I also wanted the romance between the main characters to build more than it did, or at the very least, not wait until the very end for a vague conclusion between them.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher and author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this wonderful book! It takes place during the Great Depression era in the mountains and mining towns of Kentucky. There was a message of faith throughout this book that tells about the WPA program that delivered books and reading materials to all of the families.

Loved this story! Set in the Great Depression, this is a tale of hardship and overcoming. I have to be honest and say that it didn't follow the 'formula' and go the way that I thought it was going to, but that actually made it a lot better. So many different issues are touched upon within these pages, the historic struggles of this era, domestic abuse, distrust of the different, family dynamics....so much packed into one story. The only thing that could make this better is a follow up that continues Addie & Emmett's story and gives us Bettina's, too...because she deserves a happy ending!

In the beginning I wasn't sure I was going to like this book. However, once the author got into the main story of the book it changed. The author shoes well the life of living in the hills. She weaves the story of their lives and that of a newcomer. She effectively deals with the issues of abuse and discrimination. Through the main character she shows what determination and faith in God works. The end however seems to be a little rushed. It's as if everything sort of gets fixed to quickly. I would love for there to be a sequel.

Addie Cowherd has been called to the Dean's office just weeks before the finals week of her junior year in college. She is being barred from finishing her term because of non-payment of her tuition and board. She can stay in her room because she paid that up with funds from her job at the library in town. She went to the post office on campus to see if she had any letters from her parents, who were paying faithfully for her college. She found that her father had lost his job when the bank where he worked had been sold. Her parents had lost their house and were living in a boarding house.

Addie goes to the end-of-the-term bonfire and meets Emmett Tharp, a business major who is graduating. Neither of them think anything of that brief meeting.

Addie is allowed to stay with one of the librarians she works with until her job with the library is finished. Before her job is finished, the head librarian tells her of a job as a horse-back librarian in Boone's Hollow, Kentucky, as part of the WPA program started by President Roosevelt. Boone's Hollow is one of those back-woods areas where newcomers are not easily welcomed. Because of the lady Addie chooses to live with while she's in Boone's Hollow, she is particularly not welcomed by any of the customers on her route.

When the head librarian for Boone's Hollow takes ill, Emmett Tharp takes over as the head librarian. One of the horse-back librarians, Bettina, thought she and Emmett had an understanding and saw Addie as competition for Emmett's attentions, and tried to thwart her whenever and wherever she could.

One of Addie's innovations for the library was to take well used magazines and make themed scrapbooks with them. She worked hard to find a way to gain acceptance, and her first foot in the door was to write the story of her landlady's years in the Hollow.

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of the quality writers I am always excited to read. This book kept me involved from the very first page to the very end. Her setting of the Great Depression makes the story very real, and reminds me of a book I read last year. Both dealt with the mining areas of Kentucky, and the horseback librarians. Kim's characters are unusual in that they are college educated during a time when money for that education was hard to come by.

This is a five star book, two thumbs up, and someone willing to write your story.

WaterBrook/Multnomah and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow is an interesting tale of a woman sent to be a packhorse librarian in the 30's. When she gets there, the woman that runs the library falls ill and has to move away. She finds that a man lives there that she met in college. Soon, he becomes her boss. His name is Emmett, and they become closer friends as time goes on. Addie has trouble with the other ladies in the program, particularly a girl named Bettina, who sees herself marrying Emmett, even though he isn't the least bit interested. Great story, well written, and very clean.

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow by author Kim Vogel Sawyer, is a story following the Pack Horse Library Project,the real-life WPA program that was developed in the 1930s-1940s. Taking books into the Appalachian coal mining country.

Addie Cowherd finds herself dismissed from the University of Kentucky with only weeks from graduation. Her parents aren't paying tuition. She must put aside her dream of being an author and leave the school to find a job to pay the bill and help her family.

Upon graduation, Emmett Tharp finds he is unable to get a job with his new degree in commerce. When all else fails, he finds himself working in the coal mines along with his father.

The Appalachian communities are steeped in prejudice and superstitions. But as Addie befriends Nanny Fay, the truth finds its way out in the open. Bettina Webber's life is one of pain and rejection, yet she finds her way by letting go of her prejudice.

This story covers lessons in family, prejudice, and forgiveness. Sawyer weaves faith throughout as each character finds their reliance on God.

"Books, Addie, have the power to change people for the better." That was precisely the goal of the WPA program. Sawyer's research and writing encapsulated the spirit of the time. I think you will find this to be an intriguing heartwarming read.

I received a copy of the book from WaterBrook & Multnomah via Net Galley. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

As a former librarian, I enjoy the stories of these brave souls who ventured into the mountains to deliver literature. In The Librarian of Boone's Hollow, Addie's life is opened to a whole new world she never imagined. Set in the time following the Great Depression, Addie takes the only job she can find. I love the Kentucky mountain setting and variety of characters. Addie, Bettina, and Emmett venture into a time where they need to rely on God and one another, even when they think they can't. I love how the author brings out important issues and effortlessly weaves them into the story. Her writing offers hope. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Librarian of Boone's Hollow" by author Kim Vogel Sawyer is a Christian historical novel based on the Pack Horse Library Project. It was set in mid 1930’s Kentucky in the coal mining hill country. I began reading it and found myself mesmerized by the story.

This is the tale of Addie Cowherd, a young woman from the University of Kentucky, that encounters some problems. She comes from a family of strong faith and uses that faith to guide her throughout her life. It is also the story of Emmett, from Boone’s Hollow that she meets at the University.

The author has penned a realistic Appalachian tale that is centered around the WPA program that was developed to assist families. I enjoyed all of the characters. They were gritty, true to life, giving, and had a naivety that comes from living outside of the city. Nanny Fay was one of my favorites. The conversations were delightful. I had no trouble imaging the setting or the characters. The love story is light and sweet.

The author wove a message of faith throughout the entire book. I loved that! She included timeless life lessons on family, superstitions, prejudice, and forgiveness that are noteworthy. There are discussion questions in the back of the book, and I would recommend this to any book club.

This is a well researched and wonderfully written book. I highly recommend it to anyone. It receives 5 out of 5 stars from me. I received a copy from Net Galley, but these are my honest words.

This book was very well written and well researched. It was a bit formulaic and predictable but overall, it was interesting.

"The Librarian of Boone's Hollow", by Kim Vogel Sawyer, is based on the real-life WPA program that was developed in the 1930s-1940s in rural, Appalachian communities. The Pack Horse Library Project provided reading materials to all families, respective of their community standing or financial resources. Addie, a faith-filled young woman displayed a hard work ethic and learned how to love people who were so very different from her. Along the way, she fell in love with Emmett, a member of the community who was also learning how to pave his own path. This book reminds me of "Giver of the Stars" by Jojo Moyes, but has a faith-based focus.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

THE LIBRARIAN OF BOONE'S HOLLOW by KIM VOGEL SAWYER is a beautiful story about love, grace, forgiveness, overcoming hard times and the importance books play in a person's life.
The story takes place in 1936 with the effects of the Depression being felt all over the country. Facilities such as the packhorse libraries were set up where people could borrow free books. This enriched their lives and those of their children.
When Addie Cowherd has to leave her university studies because of the problems her adoptive parents are going through, she gets a job in Boone's Hollow as a packhorse librarian. She is not well received by the largely superstitious folk in the area, and things are made worse when she goes to live with Nanny Fay, who some say is a witch!
Whilst Emmett Tharp has graduated with a business diploma, he still finds it hard getting a job and starts out working in the coal mine with his father, before being employed by the Works Progress Administration to manage the distribution of books from the library.
The book is full of interesting characters, from the flamboyant yet unhappy Bettina to the mountain folk with their distrust of newcomers and the ongoing feud between the people of Boone's Hollow and those of Tucker's Pass - and they all have a story to tell. I like the way Addie, following her loving adoptive parents' example, yearns, not only to be accepted by the locals but to understand them and tell their often heart wrenching stories.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Christian historical romance. The story is inspirational and the Christian message strong.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from WaterBrook & Multnomah. The opinions in this review are completely my own.