Not
since Before We Were Yours
has a book touched my heart to this degree. I believe having done
some online research about the blue people of Kentucky, and reading
about the Fugate family of Troublesome Creek, deepened the influence
this book had on me. Being a book lover, I was also fascinated by the
Pack Horse Library Project, a part of the Works Progress
Administration of Roosevelt's New Deal Acts. In the years of its
service, over one thousand Pack Horse librarians served nearly
600,000 Appalachian patrons, taking reading materials, both donated
and created by the librarians themselves, into the poorest and most
isolated areas of eastern Kentucky.
This
story is a testament to how far we have come in Kentucky, and perhaps
how far we still have to go. It addresses the importance of
education,civil rights, and compassion. In heart-wrenching ways the
author reminds us of the high cost of poverty. Where we have been is
often an arrow pointing in the direction we still need to proceed.
The winding mountain trails tread by these librarians in eastern
Kentucky may exemplify the route we have taken in moving forward.
Readers
of my reviews know that I typically review Christian fiction. While
the language in this book prevents if from falling within that genre,
it is not without strong spiritual elements. The Book Woman
of Troublesome Creek will take
root in your heart like our deep rooted Kentucky oaks. I am grateful
to have received a copy of this book from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley in
exchange for my honest opinion. I was under no obligation to write a
positive review, and received no monetary compensation. I
give this book my highest recommendation, and hope it received the
recognition it deserves.
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