This book is perfection! For those who loved Cussy Mary Carter’s story in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, you will love Honey Lovett’s even more. Not only is this book an entertaining read, it is an informative glimpse into 1930’s Appalachia and the prejudices of the time. Families are torn apart, and new ones rise from the ashes. I could not recommend this book more; as an Appalachian bookwoman who is also a descendant of the real blue folks of troublesome creek, I heartily give it my endorsement!

A beautiful return to an favourite! I loved the strong female characters in the first book and this continues through Honey’s journey, the daughter of the heroic Cussy Mary.
Definitely a tear jerker but a beautiful read and about such a definitive era in the history of the Appalachian settlement. I loved the elements of history and the concepts of strength and resilience. A must read if you enjoyed the first book!

Thank you NetGalley and Landmark Books for a free copy in exchange for my honest review.

Once again this author doesn’t disappoint! This is a stand-alone novel that the reader does not need to read the Book Women of Troublesome Creek to understand what or who the characters are in order to understand the story. In my younger years I thought I would have wanted to live in bygone times such as these but I realize I don’t know how well off I am living in this time when women’s rights, opinions and lifestyles are welcomed and often times sought after.

The author draws a picture of independent women who don’t feel the need for a man to control their life through marriage. As the reader may consider it would be easier to marry someone you don’t love than to be put through the things Honey must endure. But as a reader you have a definite inclination that a legal union would also not alleviate all that these women went through like Guyla Belle.

The author paints a beautiful picture of eastern Kentucky and the people that reside in the towns as well as the hollers. Her history of Kentucky and the Pack Horse Library Project is well researched. And in this story, even more so than the first novel, she demonstrates the effects of literacy on the individual as well as the state as a whole.

This novel was a delight to read and will enrich those that read it as well

I was thrilled to see there was another book by this author about the Book Woman. I loved how the author had the daughter follow in her Mother's footsteps to keep the rural book delivery going. The story really shines a light on the difficulties of being a woman in the mid 1900's in rural Kentucky. I really enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it.

Readers who connected with the main character's career in book 1* will love this just as much.
* despite the note that this can be a stand-alone, readers will get the most out of it by reading both books in order.

The writing could use some polish, with a lot of the dialogue being repetitive and circular. The story arc felt like it ended abruptly, too.

Historical fiction readers will appreciate the added historic details in areas not covered in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It's not necessarily a happy story, and there are a lot of difficult topics-- maybe too many to cover properly in a book that feels short.

Another book by Kim Michele Richardson that blew me away! A gripping tale that had me glued to the page the entire time, full of feisty women such as Bonnie, Pearl, Wrenna and Honey. Indeed, women don't always have to work harder than man, just smarter to keep up with those who made up the rules (men obviously).

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.

I did think this was a good book and well worth reading, however I did not think it was fantastic. I might have enjoyed it more had I read the first book, I do appreciate that it could be read as a stand alone. There were several things I did enjoy: the research into the subjects, how the author is from the Appalachian area of Kentucky, the subjects (packwomen librarians, female coal miners, etc.), and the characters were likeable. I did feel that there were too many strong women represented and this would not be true the time period in one small area.

Richardson's writing immediately draws you back to Troublesome Creek and the story of the book woman continues through the book woman's daughter. You get to revisit the families you met in the first book and find out how they are doing while meeting new characters that will keep you turning pages until the end. Sometimes the sequel is not as good as the original book, but this one definitely is.  Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER
BY: KIM MICHELE RICHARDSON

"The Book Woman's Daughter," is both an endearing and inspirational sequel that can be read as a stand alone written by the gifted Michele Richardson. It can be pretty heartbreaking yet at the same time illuminating and hopeful with the courage and perseverance that both Honey and the good people who grace this historical novel. I was pulled in from the very beginning and my concern for Honey that she would stay safe among some very cruel bigots and racists that grace this beautiful book. Honey Mary Angeline Lovett is the kind and gentle daughter of the beloved book woman carrying on the tradition of her mother before her who delivered books in the rugged Appalachian Kentucky Mountains and hollers. She witnesses her mother and father being carted off to prison in the very beginning because of the archaic laws of ignorance and hate forbidding what is perceived to be mixed race marriages.

Honey has inherited a non life threatening condition called methemoglobinemia which makes her skin a blue color. It is caused by deficiency leading to a higher than normal levels of methemoglobin carried throughout her blood. It reduces oxygen capacity carried in the blood which causes the skin to appear blue. She is of the purest, kindness and gentleness of souls who is fighting for her life at sixteen to remain free and not similarly be carted off to a situation where she would be institutionalized until she reaches the age of twenty-one. So Honey goes to live with a kind old woman named Loretta until Retta passes away from old age. Retta took Honey into her home to save her from being unfairly imprisoned.

Honey has her protective mule named Junia who as animals often do-protect their meek and kind owners and applies for the job that she saw posted as a Packhorse Librarian delivering books to people who love them. She is earning her living of $98.00 per month and keeping a clean home and she is holding out hope to be granted from the court her emancipation, which means that she is able to keep her freedom. She is brave and resourceful and this story is about her journey to live free. She is always kind and helpful delivering library books on her mule to the people who have a desire to read. She is thoughtful and she has an innate knowledge of what the people on her route would love to read but don't have access to a library nearby.

This is just about the most touching and moving book about how with the friendships that are evident in the decent and good people she interacts with and the proof that there exists a kind and warmth in the people of Kentucky. The Author's ability to juxtapose that besides the mean and racist there is also a noble and goodwill. There are scenes throughout this book that took my breath away. I knew that I would love this and I absolutely did! It is a stunning portrait of the power of Sisterhood and the power of books is never so evident as it is illustrated in this unique tale. I highly, highly recommend this to all readers who already understand the transforming difference loving the written words on a page can elevate us to the highest realm.

Publication Date: May 3, 2022

A Huge Debt of Gratitude and Thank you to Net Galley, Kim Michele Richardson and SOURCEBooks Landmark for generously providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All Opinions are my own.

#TheBookWoman'sDaughter #KimMicheleRichardson #SourceBooksLandmark #NetGalley

What a beautiful follow-up to the first book.

I loved Kim Michele Richardson's first book about the Blue people of Kentucky, and I'll admit I was a little unsure of a sequel holding up to the love I felt for the first book. However, this book goes above and beyond my expectations.

Honey is a wonderful character and following her on her trials and triumphs was such a lovely journey. The book starts out with Honey finding herself on her own, fighting the same prejudices her mother did, so she returns to Troublesome where she tries to move forward with her life while also following in her mother's footsteps.

This book has such great descriptions of the settings that you'll feel like you're riding along the hills with Honey. A truly lovely book full of unforgettable characters and so much heart that Honey will become one of your favorite literary characters.

The Book Woman's Daughter was the last book i read in 2021 and i couldn't have ended it with a better book! Richardsons writing style is absolutely superb and immediately pulls you back into rural Kentucky, Mary Angeline Lovett age 16 is featured in this book,also referred to as Honey. Honeys mother and father were both arrested due to being "blue" which gives us a glimpse of how harsh and cruel the world was in 1950. Honey is sent to live with a family friend, but her story ends up being one of sadness and strength much like her mothers. While Honey is now on her own, she ends up getting her mother's old job and begins delivering books throughout the mountain.

This will easily be one of the best sequels and possibly the best book of 2022!

The Book Woman’s Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson follows in the tradition of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek. It’s both a sequel and a stand-alone book, and it more than lives up to its best-selling predecessor. Honey Lovett follows in Cussy’s footsteps as she too becomes a book woman and negotiates the daily challenges of living alone in Appalachia. It is as much a story of a people as it is the story of a woman finding her strength. Highly recommended.

The Book Woman's Daughter is an amazing historical fiction novel about Kentucky's packhorse librarians. Sixteen-year-old Honey Lovett is following in her mother's footsteps delivering books to families around the coal mining town of Troublesome Creek. Though having to deal with hatred and prejudice from some of the townsfolk, she also encounters kindness and understanding from others. Honey learns to be strong and brave from the friendships she develops with other young women of this community. Thanks to author Kim Michele Richardson, publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, and to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book for an honest review.

In this sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, after both of her parents are arrested for having an illegal marriage, Honey Mary-Angeline Lovett, the daughter of the Troublesome Creek book woman realizes that she is on her own. Determined to avoid the House of Reform or the orphan's home, Honey sets out with Junia, their difficult mule on the long journey to Miss Loretta's house in Troublesome. On the way to Miss Loretta's, Honey stops at the Troublesome Creek Library branch and is surprised to see a posting for an assistant librarian, pay is $98 a month. Taking over her mother's route may be the answer that will keep her free. Hoping to find a safe haven, Honey is unprepared for the way women are mistreated and the harshness of some of the miners. Making friends with Pearl, the new female fire-tower watcher, helps ease the burden of being without her mother and father. Standing up to the societal norms that allow medical experimentation, imprisoning orphans, sexual harassment, and murder is no easy task, however, Honey is tough and up to the challenge.

I was so excited to receive a copy to review and I read it in two days. Sometimes, sequels disappoint, not this one! Life is grim in the hills and Richardson doesn't pull any punches. Women are treated as a commodity and have no independence. The Fugates, or the Blue People of Kentucky are discriminated against and prohibited from marrying a person of another race. Fans of the first book will thoroughly enjoy this one too. A Note from the Author is a must read, complete with pictures, Richardson has thoroughly researched before writing this story. As a retired librarian, I question whether I would have survived the roughness of the terrain and the harshness of life in the hills. This title will make an excellent Book Club choice, many topics to be discussed.

I simply adored “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” and was very happy to receive an advanced reader’s copy of this sequel. I enjoyed reading Honey’s story, but I did not find it as compelling or engrossing as the first book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to read the advance copy.

Excellent historical fiction…blending women’s rights, the plight of the Kentucky hill people and early literacy programs. Prejudice, violence, corruption, female bonding, bravery, loss, books and love….this tale has it all and is delivered in a narrative that keeps the pages turning.

There are so many times I read a book and the characters are so dear to me that I feel disappointed that I’m done getting to know their story so I was extremely excited when I saw this book was being released.
16 years after Cussy’s story ended the family is still struggling with many of the same hardships due to the discrimination and prejudices of the time which leaves Cussy’s daughter, Honey, to struggle on her own without her parents. Luckily for Honey she has a strong network of friends to support her but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t face many trials along the way showing she is just as fierce and smart as her mother. The friendships she found and the love and respect Honey receives from those who see her for who she is and not the color of her skin was heartwarming. I really enjoyed revisiting the characters from the previous book and couldn’t help but love the new ones.. Junia may be on the top of my list for favorite book animals but Tommie takes a close second!
I am so grateful to the publisher for allowing me to review a copy of this book on Netgalley prior to publication. It was everything I had hoped it would be!

I loved this sequel set in 1950s Appalachia. This book is centered on Honey, a great strong willed character.
It really shines the light on the power of female friendships. This book was excellent.

Patrons at the library where I work loved The book woman and they will be so excited to read about her daughter. I really loved this story. It is a story of very strong women that are also very caring. I will be ordering this book for the library

The pack horse librarian returns, but this time we ride along with Cussy Mary’s daughter, Honey. At age 16, Honey’s parents are arrested for interracial marriage and Honey is sent to live with a family friend. But when Retta dies, Honey must fight to avoid juvenile detention. While she fights for emancipation, she earns a living as her mother did, as a “book woman” for the rural folks of Kentucky.