This wonderful sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will work as a stand alone read, but please don't deprive yourself of reading both books in order which will increase your emotional attachment to the characters in The Book Woman's Daughter. Honey Lovett is left to fend for herself after her parents are imprisoned for violating Kentucky's miscegenation laws, her father being white and her mother a Blue. The Blue people of Kentucky first arrived around 1820 when a French orphan who carried the gene for the rare blood disorder that causes a blue skin hue claimed a land grant there. The Blues suffered prejudices and unfair treatment for many years. It was not much different for our fictional Honey in the 1950s who was noted as being one of the last of the dwindling number of Blues. Fortunately there were those who embraced Honey and her mother before her as friends and contributing community members as they worked to provide books to those living in hard-to-reach areas of Appalachia.
This story of courage, sisterhood, survival, and respect for others is heart touching. While I usually read and review Christian fiction, and this book is not that, I am pleased that the author carefully handled scenes that others may have described in a more graphic manner. In my mind it is a thoughtful author that knows when to allow readers the opportunity to restrict or give rein to their mental images by providing just enough information to get the point across. Kim Michele Richardson is such an author. I highly recommend this book and its predecessor, and am grateful to have received a complimentary copy from Sourcebooks Landmark via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.
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