Sorry this was a DNF for me. I guess I should have read the first book before this one. I am sure others would appreciate it more than I did.

Honey Lovett is a lovable, hard working, endearing young woman who faces a continual bombardment of tragedy, heartache, and insecurity--yet faces it all with kindness, integrity and hope. She navigates many challenges, new relationships, and difficult circumstances to learn who she is, who she wants to become, and who her community needs her to be. You will laugh, cry, cringe, and keep turning pages to learn what will happen to Honey. A beautiful sequel that teaches us all of Appalachia, prejudice, life, and the indominable human spirit of hope!

the book woman’s daughter is the story of honey mary-angeline lovett, one of the last of the kentucky blurts. honey’s mother was one of the first book women to ride the rugged appalachian trails and years later, honey has taken over her route. we get to see how cruel the world is to women in that time period…but somehow the will to survive is strong. i loved kim richard son’s first book, and this one does not disappoint.

This book addresses women in the work field in the early/mid 1900's in Kentucky. We meet a variety of friends and help meets of the Book Woman's daughter, Honey. The jobs ranged from coal miner, fire tower watch, nurse to of course, pack horse librarian!

Honey is a very likable character and put in very unsettling circumstances. At just 17 her parents are imprisoned for marrying outside of their race (her mother being a Blue)...Honey is trying to stay out of prison herself because she is underage and a perceived orphan.

It took awhile to get into the storyline, but once I did, it was enjoyable. I did feel like the story was a bit underdeveloped with the intent to share a lot of historical points. Some of the circumstances were a bit hard to believe, and everything big in a persons life seemed to happen in a short 6 months that this book covers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the advance e-reader copy.

This is the sequel to “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” which I read and really enjoyed. As a rule, I usually don’t read the sequels to original books that I’ve already read just because I usually end up disappointed in them. But I was pleasantly surprised by this follow up and ended up enjoying it ( although I still think the original Book Woman story is best). This story is centered on Honey, who is the daughter of Cussy, the original Book Woman. When Honey’s parents are arrested and thrown in jail, she travels back to Troublesome Creek to live with a family friend as she is a minor. She is forced to find work and is hired as a Book Woman herself. The author does a great job of exposing the prejudices that existed in Kentucky in the 1950’s against women and especially against The Blue People, of which Honey and her mother are genetically part of. Life in the hills of Kentucky is not easy, especially for women, and the author does a great job of realistically portraying that. I found this story to be well written and interesting! You also don’t have to necessarily read the original Book Woman to read this sequel, although I would highly recommend that you do just because it is an amazing story!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book. I had read the first book in this series and was looking forward to the sequel. This was a great story that went a little further into the prejudices of the day especially in regard to women and even more so into "blue" women. This book like the first one in the series is a tremendous tribute to the women who braved all kinds of hardships in order to perservere with being able to deliver books to their patrons. Their strong belief in the sanctity of reading and the belief in the enhancements that reading and education can bring to people of all ages regardless of their economic status is something they can be extremely proud of. It is obvious that the people of Kentucky are better off because of these dedicated women and this book tells the story in a wonderful fascinating way.

If you liked the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek you’ll enjoy this sequel that follows the family as they face more discrimination and injustice.

I really wanted to love this one but it just felt like nothing new. It felt like we were going over Cussy’s story once more, with Junia still being Junia, awful men still being awful, and books still bringing joy to Kentuckians. The writing, while pretty, felt far more rambling in this one than it did in the first. The part I found most interesting was shoved into the last two chapters of the book and I wanted more. I liked the perseverance of the women as a whole in the book (especially Pearl and Bonnie) and seeing so many featured in roles that were typically for men at the time. Honey was far too similar a character as Cussy. And I get it, she’s her daughter and all that, but the story felt tired. Props for a well researched and beautifully descriptive book.

I read and loved Kim Michele Richardson's book "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek." I was really looking forward to this follow up novel. I found the follow up novel to be quite a bit slower, and not as engaging as the first novel. Honey's story is somewhat repetitive of the original novel. The first novel was a great piece of historical fiction. I learned quite a bit about the packhorse librarians and the 'blue' people of Kentucky. I didn't find any substantial new history in this novel. This was a lighter read without the substance of the first novel.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

The Book Woman’s Daughter was an incredible read. Richardson has a beautiful way with words and she paints a complex tapestry of culture, people, and landscape. I was so excited to receive this book as an ARC because I loved The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. However, with sequels, I try not to set my expectations too high, in case the author has a creative new plot that I surprises me or they might want to try a new angle with the characters. I try to read the book for what it is, and not what I want it to be. The Book Woman’s Daughter, nevertheless, exceeded all of my preconceived ideas about the book, what I wanted from the book, and was perfect from start to finish.

Our feisty heroine from The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, Cussy Mary, has only the briefest of appearances in this book. She factors more into the background of Honey Mary Angeline Lovett’s thoughts and wishes. Honey, like her mother, is kind and tough, caring and resilient. The story begins with the arrest of Cussy Mary and her husband for violating miscegenation laws. They wisely sent Honey, with good ol’ Junia, to Miss Loretta’s to protect Honey from the State. Back in Troublesome Creek, Honey has to fight for her freedom and independence. Richardson weaves in wonderful stories about trailblazing women in the coalmines, at the midnight schools, and in the fire towers. Honey gets a job resuming her mama’s library route. Her route is full of people who are inspired by the written word and those who fear it.

“You grow readers, expand minds, if you let them choose, but you go banning a read, you stunt the whole community” (Richardson, 2022).

As is true with life, nothing is easy, and Honey’s struggle is heartbreaking at times. There is violence, abuse, discrimination, misogyny, and sabotage. But there is also joy, community, and love, as Honey learns that “us troublesome women always fight back” (Richardson, 2022).

Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for this incredible read!

I don't read a lot of series, but I fell in love with the Book Woman from Troublesome Creek and just had to get to know her daughter. I'm so glad that I did. Any book lover will love this book. It's a beautiful tribute to family, love, and the power of books. It's also very propulsive! Highly recommend The Book Woman's Daughter, but read the first in the series first!

3.5 rounded up
I did enjoy The Book Woman's Daughter but it did not hold the same feelings as the the first in the series for me. As fas as the sequel part of things, there was much repetition to bring non-readers of the first up to speed - a bit too much for my enjoyment. This is the story of Mary Cussy's 16 year old daughter as she faces further discrimination and mistreatment in the Kentucky hills after her parent's arrest. I did enjoy her fighting spirit as she never gave up and followed the same path as her mother. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an early release copy in exchange for my honest opinion. The Book Woman's Daughter will be available on 5/3/2022.

What a wonderfully satisfying novel; this is historical fiction at its best. It centers on a bit of little known history and develops into an all-encompassing story of life at that time. Here we learn about the precarious position women held in the eyes of the law and the bravery and spunkiness of a few determined to change that. Even tho this is a sequel, it can easily stand alone. The writing is lyrical and the characters endearing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to read and review.

The follow up to The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek is every bit as good as the first book. It is filled with history from the region. I appreciate the way the author deals honestly with very difficult topics like prejudice, domestic abuse, illiteracy, poverty, and corruption. I definitely will be recommending this book.

Honey is a minor hiding with her folks in Thousandsticks, KY when the law comes to take them to jail for violating miscegenation, he’s Caucasian and she’s a blue, forbidden by law to marry. Honey leaves on Junia, her mamas stubborn mule. Along the way she meets up with Devil John an old family friend and Pearl, the new fire tower look out on her way to Ms. Loretta’s who will look after her until her parents are released. Honey and Pearl become fast friends, someone else wants the job and tries to drive Pearl out. The authorities want to take Honey to the work farm until she’s of legal age but Ms. Loretta convinces them otherwise., this arrangement works well for both of them until Ms. Loretta dies. Honeys attorney Mr. Morgan tells her if she gets married she can keep her freedom but to her that’s not freedom at all, she sees an article about emancipation and if she can prove she can get a job and provide for herself. She joins the Pack Horse Library Project taking over her mamas old route. Honeys journey is a long and hard but worth it to her to gain her freedom. I give this book 4 stars because I wanted more.

Awhile back the book "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" was getting rave reviews on Goodreads, so I picked it up on a kindle sale to enjoy as a private read. When I saw that a sequel was being released, I decided to finally read the original book in preparation for delving into this one. I really liked "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek" which told the story of Cussy Mary, a Pack Horse Librarian who carried a special gene that made her skin look blue. For this she was sometimes feared and prejudiced; at the same time, she was also valued and much loved by her many grateful book customers.

This book sequel centers upon the character of Honey Lovett, who Cussy Mary raised as her own daughter after a beloved book patron passed away. Honey also carries the "blue" gene, although it only shows up on her hands when she gets emotional. She often wears gloves to conceal it. Honey's adoptive parents have been arrested and are held in separate jails awaiting trial. It is 1953 and a crime for a white person to marry a person of color, which Cussy was considered. Honey is only sixteen, not old enough for the law to let her live on her own without a guardian. Ironically enough, the existing laws would allow her to marry, even if she were younger! It is still a society where women have less rights than men in these hills of Kentucky. The book's theme swirls around Honey's struggle to stay free while her adoptive parents' fate is sorted out. Otherwise, she could be held in an orphan's home until 18 or the House of Reform where she'd have to toil in leg chains until the age of 21.

Honey is self-sufficient and wise beyond her years, and would often accompany her adoptive Mom Cussy on her Pack Horse Librarian book deliveries. In Honey's quest for independence she also scores a job as a traveling librarian, riding the same donkey Junia that squired Cussy to her book patrons.

While there were some charming and emotionally powerful moments in the book, it lacked that special something that the original book had. I found myself skimming through certain sections that didn't quite hold my interest. There seemed to be a lack of heartwarming characters and customers compared to the original book. I managed to finish the book, but wouldn't seek out further sequels.

Thank you to the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Kentucky Sisterhood

A coming of age story of a young sixteen year old, blue skin Kentucky woman. When she is orphaned because her parents are imprisoned for marrying because her mother is blue skinned she escapes and fights to be emancipated and granted her independence.

Honey Lovett takes over her mother's pack horse library route when she is hired as assistant librarian. She lives in her grandparents cabin alone when her guardian passes away. This is not good enough for some of the male population of the town, nor the social services worker. They want to put Honey in a reform school and put her to work until she is twenty one.

Not only is there discrimination against her for being young, but for being the daughter of a blue skinned woman and for trying to assert her independence. I had never heard of a blue skinned person nor of Methemoglobinemia. I actually looked it up in Google to find out what it was and not only was it a real generic condition, but blue skinned people actually did exist in Kentucky.

The book not only addresses the discrimination against Honey, but also addresses women miners, battered women, mentions of the midnight schools , traveling nurses, the first women forest lookouts, and even a protective rooster.

I love the descriptive details of the beautiful Kentucky mountain country, the flowers, plants and trees. The foods they ate and how they spoke. It was like taking a trip through time back to the mountain country during this time. I loved the friendship between the women, especially between Pearl and Honey.

It was a great story and I really enjoyed reading it. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Kim Michelle Richardson for writing a great story, to Sourcebooks Landmark for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me to read and review.

I read the author’s first book in this series: the Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It was a well -written and fascinating look at rural Kentucky and a woman with a genetic condition that turned her skin blue who was dedicated to bringing books to her neighbors. She she fell in love with and married a white man and adopted an orphaned girl who was also a Blue. This is the story of her daughter, who like her mother, realized the impact books could have on her neighbors and dedicated herself to bringing them reading material. It’s also the story of how a young girl learned to survive and stand up for herself against prejudice and a patriarchal society.


I gave this book 4.5 rounded up to 5 stars

I’m going to start by saying I didn’t read the first book but also had no issue reading it as a standalone. I will 💯 be picking up “woman of troublesome creek” because now I feel like I need to know the backstory of it!

At times slow, I found myself wanting to know more about Honey as she hides in plain sight and tries to continue her mother’s passion to getting books into the hands of people. I can relate as a bookworm determined to find the “right” book for everyone… because it’s truly the only way we can learn, grow and appreciate our own past and other people’s journeys.

If you enjoy reading HF about women and the strength that they’ve had .. those stories that may be based on truth but embellished with fiction. The fascinating part of it all, then you’ll enjoy this. I only took 1 star off because it was a little slow for me to get into. Perhaps that was because I didn’t read the first 🙈 but I promise I plan on it.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted copy in return for an honest review

The Book Woman's Daughter celebrates the power of reading and honors the select women who rode on horseback through the Kentucky woods to deliver books, magazines, and newspapers to families. The dark side of this novel is the abusive treatment of women who were held down by disrespectful men who felt women were only necessary to provide for men. Out of these two themes is the story of Honey, a 16 year old who, in the early 1950s, is carrying on her mother's dedication as a packhorse library clerk while her parents are unjustly incarcerated. The Book Woman's Daughter can be read as a standalone or as a sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. Both are worthwhile novels filled with Kentucky history and strong-willed female characters.