The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

June 14, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Historical, Fiction
Rating: 5 stars
Review by Snowdrop

The bestselling historical fiction novel from Kim Michele Richardson, this is a novel following Cussy Mary, a packhorse librarian and her quest to bring books to the Appalachian community she loves, perfect for readers of William Kent Kreuger and Lisa Wingate. The perfect addition to your next book club!

The hardscrabble folks of Troublesome Creek have to scrap for everything—everything except books, that is. Thanks to Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, Troublesome’s got its very own traveling librarian, Cussy Mary Carter.

Cussy’s not only a book woman, however, she’s also the last of her kind, her skin a shade of blue unlike most anyone else. Not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the Library Project, and a Blue is often blamed for any whiff of trouble. If Cussy wants to bring the joy of books to the hill folks, she’s going to have to confront prejudice as old as the Appalachias and suspicion as deep as the holler.

Inspired by the true blue-skinned people of Kentucky and the brave and dedicated Kentucky Pack Horse library service of the 1930s, The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman’s belief that books can carry us anywhere—even back home.

What a great story. I can’t find a thing wrong with it. It isn’t all filled with good things. It’s also full of poverty-stricken people and racism that we all hope would go away. Although you might think of these atrocities in the big city, this story is set in the 1930’s right in the heart of the Appalachia’s. Cussy Mary, a 19-year-old young lady, takes care of her father who works in the mines. It’s just the two of them, and they struggle to even keep food on the table.

Cussy Mary takes on a book delivery job. It was The Pack Horse Librarian Project, established as part of President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration. It was exactly as it sounds…ladies delivering books via horses to people all over the hills and trails. Some of the trails were quite treacherous to travel. Cussy Mary used a sure-footed cantankerous old mule to get to some of the families and people on her route. She had people that could not wait to see her no matter the kind of book she had for them and yet others were afraid of her because she was what people in Kentucky called the “Blues”. Her skin was blue, and the prejudice just as real as any other you are familiar with.

Somehow, I’m sure you can already tell I enjoyed this story. There’s another aspect to this little bit of historical fiction that was very important to me. I kept running to my computer to see if all these things were true, and they were. Roosevelt’s Project, the Pack Horse Librarians, and unfortunately, the poverty and prejudice. What a joy to read an enjoyable story of fiction and soak up all of those facts at the same time. Well-written and great to read.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Other, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

July 18, 2022 By Leave a Comment


The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Historical, Fiction, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her World War I veteran husband and her daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away.

The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark historical fiction exploration into the shadows of the past, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such murky historical mysteries.

What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?

Agatha Christie novels have withstood the test of time, due in no small part to Christie’s masterful storytelling and clever mind that may never be matched, but Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.

Her heart has been devoted to him, but he’s ready to move on. What’s a girl to do when she can’t immediately write her perfect ending? Take a day trip!

I picked up this book upon recommendation from a friend and I do like the work of Agatha Christie, so I thought I’d try it. This is a fictionalized version of Agatha Christie’s disappearance, and one must keep that in mind. Some of the details are a bit…fudged. I don’t know how to get into the head of Agatha Christie, but I applaud the author for trying.

This book was a good read, but it was a bit jarring at times. I wanted to know more of how Archie might have felt, but he was portrayed more as a bumbling, guilty man who didn’t understand the mess he’d made. The book had a bit of a feminist slant in that Agatha Christie took control of her own narrative and had to make some changes to come into her own, but it also feels a little naïve in that she seems to defer to her husband more than appeared necessary.

Agatha Christie was a strong woman, stronger than the women of her time. She made her own money and wasn’t afraid to have a career as an author, even when it annoyed her husband. I don’t know if this is exactly how the incident of her disappearance played out, but it’s a good enough read for an afternoon.

It’s interesting to wonder what it would’ve been like to be Agatha Christie and to understand what made her feel a disappearance was best. I liked reading the fictionalized version of her life.

If you’re interested in Agatha Christie, the mystery of her disappearance or just want a different kind of mystery, then give this one a try.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell

January 21, 2015 By Leave a Comment

LOVE
The Unexpected Consequences of Love by Jill Mansell
Publisher: Sourcebooks-Landmark
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction
Length: Full Length (411 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Stephanotis

Sophie has no interest in finding love. But what happens when love finds her?

Sophie Wells is a successful photographer with a focus on putting the past firmly behind her. When Josh Strachan returns to the seaside town of Cornwall from the States to run his family’s hotel, he can’t understand why the fun, sexy girl has zero interest in letting him-or any man for that matter-into her life. He also can’t understand how he’s been duped into employing Sophie’s impulsive friend Tula, whose crush on him is decidedly unrequited. Both girls remain mum about the reasons behind Sophie’s indifference to love. But that doesn’t mean Josh is going to quit trying…

So why don’t we flip by way of the pages and start kicking off that http://www.devensec.com/ch498/dec49816.html viagra overnight shipping bad habit. A few of the unwanted cheap levitra india effects include muscle pain, stomach upset, leg pain, headaches, lumbar pain and dizziness. Zenegra works in the two step mechanism in first step it sorts out the problems that price sildenafil is responsible for the impotence may be determined. buy levitra As a young man, it is really disheartening for you to improve your flexibility, sexual technique and endurance, you should try doing these exercises. I always think the first and last book you read each year should be extra special so I’m glad I got to read this new one from Jill Mansell. I’ll admit I’ve never disliked any of her stories and this one was no exception.

If you’ve never read anything by the author let me start by saying if you love sometimes quirky and not your run of the mill characters, you’ll enjoy the author’s writing. This particular story is also filled with tears, laughter, and generally puts a smile on your face on a cold winter’s day.

I loved all the characters but have to say I did find myself longing for more scenes with the hero Josh. He’s kind and honest and you share his frustration when Sophie isn’t showing any interest in him. You feel yourself shouting at the pages, saying Sophie, this guy’s perfect for you.

However, part of the enjoyment of reading this story grows from the author’s clever plotting of having everyone else wanting someone they can’t have or someone who only has eyes for someone else. It has you turning the pages to find out if Ms. Mansell was kind enough to give everyone the happy ending you craved. Sometimes things didn’t work out but I found myself reading the last sentence of the book with a smile on my face.

One added bonus for me was the setting of Cornwall. It’s mostly mysteries or romantic suspense stories I see set there so this was a nice change of pace. The author did a great job describing it and the hotel that Josh runs. Despite its 400 plus pages, this story clips along at a steady pace and is sadly done before you realize it.

If like me you take extra time selecting that first or last book of any year, I’d recommend this one.

Filed Under: Mainstream Fiction, Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , , ,