The Book Woman's Daughter: A Novel

· Sourcebooks, Inc.
4.9
16 reviews
Ebook
352
Pages
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About this ebook

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

"A powerful portrait of the courageous women who fought against ignorance, misogyny, and racial prejudice." —William Kent Krueger, New York Times bestselling author of This Tender Land and Lightning Strike

The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek!

Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free.

In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned, Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.

Picking up her mother's old packhorse library route, Honey begins to deliver books to the remote hollers of Appalachia. Honey is looking to prove that she doesn't need anyone telling her how to survive. But the route can be treacherous, and some folks aren't as keen to let a woman pave her own way.

If Honey wants to bring the freedom books provide to the families who need it most, she's going to have to fight for her place, and along the way, learn that the extraordinary women who run the hills and hollers can make all the difference in the world.

Praise for The Book Woman's Daughter:

"In Kim Michele Richardson's beautifully and authentically rendered The Book Woman's Daughter she once again paints a stunning portrait of the raw, somber beauty of Appalachia, the strong resolve of remarkable women living in a world dominated by men, and the power of books and sisterhood to prevail in the harshest circumstances. A critical and profoundly important read for our time. Badassery womanhood at its best!"—Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

"Fierce, beautiful and inspirational, Kim Michele Richardson has created a powerful tale about brave extraordinary heroines who are downright haunting and unforgettable."—Abbott Kahler, New York Times bestselling author (as Karen Abbott) of The Ghosts of Eden Park

Ratings and reviews

4.9
16 reviews
Jane Ward
May 3, 2022
The Book Woman's Daughter is a brilliant Historical Fiction Novel by Kim Michele Richardson about a young packhorse librarian who follows in her mother’s footsteps. I’m a Kentuckian and loved this book, devouring all of the wonderful Kentucky history this book offers. Read, live and walk with your ancestors, relive the stories you heard about family. Listen to the accents, the words from home. Can you hear the words, the sentences, a way of speaking only Kentuckians will fully understand? Read about the brave mountain people that worked hard, overcame obstacles and risked their lives because of their love for family and friends. If you’re not from Kentucky or the Applachians you will learn about a very special place and people. This book includes a reader’s guide, the author’s notes and wonderful historical photos. I have enjoyed all of this author’s Kentucky stories. Don’t miss even one book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. Fabulous 5 Stars
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Shirley McAllister
May 4, 2022
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.
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Sally Mander
August 8, 2022
Highly recommend. This is a library copy, I'll read it again at least one more time before it's returned. I know that I'll soon need my own copy, for I'll want to read it time and time again. #thebookwomansdaughter #thebookwomanoftroublesomecreekbook2 #historicalfiction #packhorselibrarians #miscongenationlaws #blueskinnedpeopleofkentucky #emancipation #prisoners #unfairlaws #friendship #mules #strongfemaleprotagonist #kimmichelerichardson #sourcebooks @sourcebooks
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About the author

NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, Kim Michele Richardson, is a multiple-award winning author who has written five works of historical fiction, and a bestselling memoir. Kim Michele was born and raised in Kentucky and lives there with her family and beloved dogs. She is also the founder of Shy Rabbit, a writers residency and scholarship implemented for low-income writers. To learn more, please visit Kim Michele on her Facebook page and or website at www.kimmichelerichardson.com

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