Honey Lovett is the daughter of the book woman of Troublesome Creek and opens to Honey's separation from her parents after they've been running from the law from her parents' "unlawful matrimony." Honey is also being pursued by the law for her own incarceration and must fight to stay free. In her quest for emancipation, she takes on her mother's old route as an outreach librarian delivering books throughout Appalachia. Along the way, she meets old and new friends as she carves a corner of her community for herself.
This was a wonderful sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek and is a tale of resilience, strength, perseverance, and sisterhood. Honey must go through a lot of obstacles, many man-made, and she is an easy protagonist to root for. With the exception of the men...the female characters are empathetic, strong, and driven. The plot was easy to follow (and, unfortunately, predict) as women find ways to overcome in a society that wants to keep them down.

Read it for the ending. That’s my advice. Because the ending is beautiful and well worth the rest of the book. I read this right on the tails of reading the first book (although the author says this can be read as a standalone, I wanted the full experience). So naturally I compared the two. And this one about Honey, the daughter, was definitely different. And it was much slower. Book woman’s story in the first book (Honey’s mother) was focused on the library and on her being a blue. The first felt pretty well paced and a lot happened even from the beginning. But in this hook’s case, it was just slower. If I had read it alone, I might have put it down and forgotten about it. But it was worth sticking with. About the 60% point it really makes it’s mark and that’s when I breezed through, even tearing up at the end.

The Book Woman's Daughter is a follow-up to Richardson's wonderful book The Book Woman.

This novel is set in Kentucky within the Appalachian mountains. Saddling up an old horse, she takes books to the people who live in the remote area.

Her mother and father have been arrested and Honey Marie works to show her independence and resilience despite this tragedy.

She brings and finds an amazing resilience amongst the women in these mountains and the story is one that should not be missed.

This was the first of Kim Michele Richardson's books that I've read and I look forward to reading more. This book wraps you up in the Honey as she takes on her mother's library route in 1950's Kentucky. It explores racism and discrimination based on skin color. It's an excellent coming of age story, equal parts heart breaking and heart warming. A definite read for fans of historical fiction.

I adored reading about Cussy Mary and the Blues in The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, and it’s there that we are first introduced to Honey Lovett, and this story picks up some 15 years later. It grieves me to think of how horrible the government was to the Blues as well as to anyone of color during that time period, and how loving someone and forging a life together was considered an abomination and was against the law. I can’t even fathom it. But the story of how Honey must fight for her own place when her parents are arrested is nothing short of inspiring. Her friendship with Pearl is extra special, and her relationships with many of the townspeople, good and bad, help her to become a stronger, more independent woman. My only critique is that there did seem to be a lot of man hating going on in the book—not that it wasn’t probably somewhat historically accurate, but it did seem a bit excessive at times. Overall though, I loved this book, and anyone who enjoys reading coming of age or Appalachian set stories, loves books, or who enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is sure to love the story of Honey and her friends.

I loved The Book Woman's Daughter soooooo much! It's a sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, which is also amazing, but it can also be read as a standalone. However, it's good to read both to get an idea of the history behind these stories.

Honey is such a wonderful and memorable lead character whom you can't help but love the entire time. She's just such a good person and a positive role model. I love all the new characters in this story (obviously not the villains though), as well as some returning characters. There is also a lot of relevant political commentary that fits some current situations (someone even made a remark about men making laws that control women). The vivid details and descriptions really brought the story to life. I felt so bad for some of the women on Honey's route. Especially Bonnie and Guyla Belle.

I hope there will be a third book about Cussy and Honey. I'd read that right away!

Side note: I consider myself to be a book woman in my community as I am always sharing books from my personal library. I love introducing friends to their next favorite book. I also feel that I do this through Chick Lit Central and my Bookstagram. I even referred to myself as a "not-so-local librarian" to someone I mailed books to on the other side of the country.

Movie casting suggestions:
Honey: Oona Laurence
Pearl: Luna Blaise
Francis: Asher Angel
Bonnie: Sarah Yarkin
Guyla Belle: Willa Fitzgerald
Perry: Jesse Plemons
Retta: Shirley MacLaine
Devil John: Robert Eggers

This was a DNF for me. I just couldn’t get into the story or connect with the characters. I thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

The Book Woman's Daughter is the next generation's story, a sequel to The Book Woman from Troublesome Creek. It follows the story of Honey, the daughter of Cussy and Jackson Lovett, who is forced to find her way to independence and freedom after losing her parents. A number of memorable and lovable characters return in this installment, as well as new faces and challenges.

This book turns away a bit from the struggles of the blue people of Kentucky, and focuses more on the struggles of the women living in this time period. There are women who rise to the challenge of working outside the home and face the harassment and torment received by men who believed their places were at home and not in the workplace. It recognizes the struggles women faced when the man or husband has left or passed, and what women tolerated to provide for her remaining family. This story is about Honey's fight for freedom, but also about the fight of many women to live and make their way during this time.

While I did enjoy the book, I was disappointed more stories of the blue people were not included. Granted, Cussy was the considered the last of these people, I had hoped for more of the subject in this book. Regardless, the book is interesting, with good plots and subplots, and has a wonderful ending, leaving the story completely open to the possibility of a third installment, which I hope to see in the future.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The Book Woman's Daughter is an emotional read. You will laugh and cry with the main character, Honey, as she navigates life without her parents to guide her. A sequel and standalone story, it will give you a serious book hangover. Highly recommended!!

5 out of 5 stars.

The Book Woman's Daughter is a wonder sequel that did not disappoint. I did not love is as much as The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, but I really did enjoy the book. Honey Lovett's story was heartwarming and heartbreaking. Kim Michele Richardson does an amazing job with her writing, you really feel like your in the Kentucky Mountains on your own book route. I look forward to more novels from this talented author.

Thank you #KimMicheleRichardson #SourceBooksLandmark and #NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Book Woman's Daughter continues the story of pack horse librarians. A particular one - Cussy Mary, who as a blue, had to live under a different set of society's rules. Honey Mary-Angeline, raised by Cussy Mary, is the focus of this book as she fights for her safety and her freedom. Her family is imprisoned under the miscegenation laws, and Honey is faced with "correction" and hard labor since she is an unsupervised minor. The town doctor and lawyer come to her aid as she faces various dangers of her parents' imprisonment. A job as a pack horse librarian helps Honey find stability.
This book also addresses the prejudice against women in the male-dominated work place of this era (miners and fire-tower lookouts). It includes historical photos of women as pack horse librarians, coal miners, frontier nurses and fire tower lookouts. A reading group guide is included.
The Book Woman's Daughter is quickly paced and will keep the fans of historical fiction intrigued.
Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and Kim Michele Richardson for this ARC.

I was over the moon to receive an advanced copy of this book. Kim Michele Richardson returns to take us back to eastern Kentucky and to the life of Honey Lovett--daughter of the famed blue-skinned pack horse librarian, Richardson's novel reminds us of the resiliency of the human spirit, and of the injustices that women faced and continue to face in society. This book will remain in my heart for a very long time.

Thanks to NetGalley, for providing me an advance copy of this book.

I loved revisiting the characters from the first book, and the writing was top-notch. I really felt for Honey and all the trials she had to go through.

The Books Woman's Daughter is a splendid follow-up to the first book. The main character, Honey, is a spunky, courageous girl living and working in the depths of Appalachia in the middle of the 20th century. Life is not easy for anyone, much less a teenager hiding from the law after her parents are arrested for violating Kentucky's miscegenation laws. Richardson evokes the places, poverty, and people of the area with a deft hand. Despite the many hurdles Honey faces, she meets a few people who are willing to support her, regardless of the cost.

I have been waiting anxiously since I finished The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek for a sequel. While this is a fine stand-alone book, I was somewhat disappointed that this book did not have the flair and excellent writing that the first book had (which is one of my all-time favorite novels). Maybe my expectations were too high.

Don’t get me wrong, this is a good book. As a stand-alone novel, the reader will find the story interesting and the aspects of living in the ruggedness of Kentucky fascinating. The characters are colorful and memorable. If you haven’t read the first book, or it’s been a while, I would suggest reading or re-reading it prior to beginning this book. It is certainly not necessary but would help in remembering who the characters are as Honey travels throughout the hollers.


I received an ARC from Sourcebook Landmark through NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book. I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

I read the first book in this series and loved it. The sequel did not disappoint. This book also could be read as a stand alone.

If you read and enjoyed The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek then you'll need to read Kim's follow up about Cussy Mary's daughter, Honey, who follows in her footsteps as a book woman in the Kentucky hills. It's inspiring to read about how dedicated these women were to get books to the families in the backwoods of Kentucky back in the day. I'd like to think if I had lived back then that I'd jump on my horse...or mule... and get my very own book route. I learned a lot about the lady coal-miners and the women who were the country's first lookouts at the fire towers. I feel like when I learn about something new and I am entertained at the same time that I have the best of both worlds.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Published 3 May 2022.

Several books have been published in recent years about the packhorse librarians of Kentucky who brought literacy to residents of Appalachia starting around the time of the Great Depression. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is one of them. This is its sequel, and like it, you can tell the author knows the setting and has researched the parts she wasn’t already well-aquainted with by her writing style. This novel will be snatched up by readers of the first book, but she manages to write a book that could be a stand alone with The Book Woman’s Daughter. Enough background is given to fill the reader in if they haven’t read the first one, though they’ll most likely immediately want to grab it afterwards to get to know Cussy Mary better. I found myself hoping for happy endings for all of the characters who deserved it in this book (and just desserts for the ones who had them coming), and mostly I got them, but Richardson gives this book enough realism to avoid tropes that shouldn’t exist in this setting. I’m glad for that, because it gives the book more depth. She addresses issues that our world still wrestles with, such as womens’ rights, prejudice, and misogyny, and by giving the main character, Honey, a rare genetic condition, she also addresses bigotry and hatred stemming from misinformation and fear. The Bookwoman’s Daughter is a good mix of history and realism, with some romance and humor mixed in. It has something for every reader, and I predict will be a fast best seller.

The Book Woman's Daughter definitely builds on the amazing story of Cussy Mary. Cussy was a force to be reckoned with, and she definitely passed that tenacity on to her daughter, Honey. Honey's story, while heartbreaking, is an amazing journey to follow. This book is a must read (preferably after you read The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek- but I'm a series girl. You could read this book as a stand alone and not miss a thing)

Another wonderful historical fiction book steeped in the real life history of the Appalachian women of Kentucky! This story features Honey, the daughter of much beloved Cussy Mary who we met in The book woman of Troublesome Creek. Like her mother, Honey is also a member of the Blue-skinned people of that region who suffer from a non-life-threatening genetic blood condition.

Honey's story begins in the 1950s when both her parents have been imprisoned for breaking the miscegenation laws of the state (Cussy Mary being considered no better than other lesser races of the time). Hiding from authorities who would seek to lock her up, Honey stays with her friend and neighbor and gets a job like her mother working as a pack horse librarian. Unfortunately trouble finds her when she upsets the husband of a family she delivers books. Forced to fight for her freedom in court Honey has to defend her honor as both a librarian and a person with a right to live as she chooses.

Equally maddening and uplifting, I couldn't get enough of Honey and the strong but humble Appalachian women she served and befriended. I really loved the letters from Cussy Mary in the story and hearing that she found a way to share her love of books in prison by teaching the other inmates how to read and write.

Yet again the author did a fantastic job weaving historical facts into her story, including archival photos and a detailed note at the end of the book. While technically a sequel, the book does work as a standalone. Highly recommended and great on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy!