Review: The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an excellent conclusion to this trio of books. We end with more information about Cussy and her time in prison. We also get a look at what Louisville, KY, was like during that era when Cussy is granted a weeklong furlough from prison.

The descriptions of Cussy's despair, her anxiety at not knowing what is happening to her husband, who is also in prison (the men's prison having a severe outbreak of Polio), her joy at bringing her learning library into the women's AND the men's libraries are wonderful indeed.

I highly recommend this novel for those who love to learn about history in a gentler way.

*ARC was supplied by the publisher Sourcebooks Landmark, the author, and Net Galley -ATTL.Edelweiss.

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SUMMARY: "In this standalone and companion novel to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series, our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman, Cussy Lovett, returns home. A powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the printed word, The Mountains We Call Home is wrapped into a vivid portrait of Kentucky examining incarceration and criminalization, exploring the effects on the poor and powerless, and tracing the societal consequences of fractured family bonds, along with nostalgic glimpses of a bustling, multifaceted Louisville, and heartwarming portraits of reading efforts in every facet of life. 

Meticulously researched and richly detailed with a new cast of absorbing and complex characters, this beautifully rendered, authentic Kentucky tale is gritty and heartbreaking and infused with hope, spirit, and courage known only to those with no way out."

Review: The Book Woman's Daughter

The Book Woman's Daughter by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek , and if you have the time, I would highly recommend that you read this book first before reading The Book Woman's Daughter. You don't NEED to, but it will help better understand some of what happens during this novel. Also, if you have a Kindle and Kindle Unlimited, I would like to let you know that The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is free to borrow.

Now the reason for my long-winded start, The Book Woman's Daughter was fabulous. Set in Eastern Kentucky during the early 1950's when extreme prejudice was going strong, this book tells the story of one of the last 'Blue' people out there. These people have methemoglobinemia, which literally turned their skin blue. Honey is not totally blue, just her hands and feet, but that is enough to mark her. In Kentucky, as well as other places, they have laws that forbid people from marrying outside of their color, and this is how the book starts out with Honey's parents being arrested for breaking the miscegenation laws. Honey is hiding, in a way, from Social Services, who threaten to put her in a "working camp" (prison) until she is 21. She is 16 when the book starts.

This story is actually a bit more about how women were treated in this time and place and the continuation of the of the Kentucky Pack Horse Librarians, which was started in the 1930's as a
WPA project. This is a story of a young woman seeking emancipation. This is a story of women and girls overcoming antiquated laws, horrid behavior from the government and the locals, men, the Kentucky Coal Miners, and of course, books and the love of reading.

I can't seem to give a better review than this-I am so in awe of this dualogy that all I can do is give it 5 Stars and recommend the heck out of it. And if you do read this, make sure to view the pictures at the end of the book and read Ms. Richardson's reasons for writing this book and all about the author's research!

*ARC was supplied for early review by the publisher SOURCEBOOKS Landmark, The author, and NetGalley. Thank you.



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Summary: "Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Mary Angeline 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 that 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."

Review: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A heart-ripping story of bigotry, illnesses, coal mining, and poverty during the early 1930s in Kentucky. This tale is about Cussy Mary Carter and her work with the WPA Pack Horse Library Project.
Remember that this is historical fiction based on two real events. There is a Troublesome Creek in Kentucky. The bigotry is horrid, but only because the bigotry we have now is not widely acceptable and is usually kept to oneself.

This was a wonderfully sad read and will be perfect for book clubs.

This book is very loosely based on a real family, so the Blue Skinned people part is true: "The 'Blue People of Kentucky' were the Fugate family, who lived in Eastern Kentucky in the 19th and 20th centuries and possessed, due to a rare recessive genetic trait and inbreeding, a condition called methemoglobinemia. This caused their blood to have a lower oxygen-carrying capacity, resulting in blue-tinted skin, purple lips, and, usually, a normal lifespan."



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SUMMARY: "

In 1936, tucked deep into the woods of Troublesome Creek, KY, lives blue-skinned 19-year-old Cussy Carter, the last living female of the rare Blue People ancestry.

The lonely young Appalachian woman joins the historical Pack Horse Library Project of Kentucky and becomes a librarian, riding across slippery creek beds and up treacherous mountains on her faithful mule to deliver books and other reading material to the impoverished hill people of Eastern Kentucky.

Along her dangerous route, Cussy, known to the mountain folk as Bluet, confronts those suspicious of her damselfly-blue skin and the government's new book program. She befriends hardscrabble and complex fellow Kentuckians, and is fiercely determined to bring comfort and joy, instill literacy, and give to those who have nothing, a bookly respite, a fleeting retreat to faraway lands."

Review: Moonlight Murder

Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I love the first book in this series so much that I figured that I was going to love this one just as much. I did not. That is not to say that I hated it; I just didn't like the concept as much during this book. There is a third book coming out, and I do believe that I will be reading it to assuage my curiosity for the next one that needs help from Aunty Detective, which will be Ilya.

We do finally find out just exactly what happened to Ali 18 years ago. We also have a new murder to explore. It is being called an accident or a suicide, but Auntie's granddaughter, Maleeha, doesn't believe that to be so. So what is a grandmother to do but to try to solve this puzzle?

I love learning about different cultures, but at times I really didn't understand the words, and this time my Kindle translator was no help. I fear for those who will read this in paper form.

Another thing I wasn't so happy with was how repetitive it was, though I can see that would help those who didn't read the last book. But the repetitiveness didn't stop with recountings from the last book; it continued with events in this one.

The author does like to use the trope of keeping us all in the closet about what is happening and then being told, 'I'll tell you when I do just one more thing. I wanted to yell for Aunty to just get on with it. I actually got bored and frustrated after a while and was tempted not to finish, but I hung on. I'm glad I did, but as to what happened to Ali, Kausar Khan's late son, but it just didn't work for me.

Well all books can't be everything to everyone so I guess this was just amiss for me...I do think I will be reading the next one now that I have a better handle on how this author works.


*ARC supplied by the publisher Harper Perennial/HarperCollins, the author, and Edelweiss.


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SUMMARY: "Kausar Khan, the Detective Aunty, returns in a new case about the mysterious death of a young man in the Golden Crescent neighbourhood, which draws her back to the unresolved death of her son twenty years ago . . .

When Kausar Khan decided to move back to Toronto to be closer to her family, she didn’t expect to have another murder investigation on her hands so soon—or rather, she didn’t expect to have another murder investigation on her hands ever. But when a young man named Mateen is found dead in their Golden Crescent neighbourhood, and when it turns out Mateen was close with Kausar’s granddaughter, Maleeha, what’s a grandmother to do but try to solve the case?

And it’s not just a heartbreakingly devastated Maleeha that is spurring Kausar on to find answers; it’s also how much the circumstances of Mateen’s death remind her of her own teenage son, Ali, and his mysterious death nearly twenty years before. Kausar knows first-hand what a difference closure could make to a grieving parent—and the more she seeks to find that for Mateen’s parents, the more she begins to realize that perhaps it’s time she find it for herself as well.

As Kausar conducts parallel investigations into both Mateen’s and Ali’s deaths and her “aunty” skills continue to bring information to light, she can’t help but wonder if the similarities in the two cases are more than just mere coincidence—but how could two deaths, twenty years apart, possibly be related?

Detective Aunty is determined to find out . . ."

Review: Road Trip

Road Trip by Mary Kay Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Mary Kay Andrew is one of my favorite Southern authors, which is why I never even read the book's description before I asked for it. I never read previous reviews, so I was quite shocked by the type of book I got instead of the one I was expecting.

For one thing, even though the meat of the book starts in Georgia, we soon transition to Ireland, and that is where the rest of the book takes place.

This book is filled with mystery, intrigue, (romance comes much later in the book) and even murder. We also have part of the book being devoted to the past, about 100 years in the past, and this is where everything in this book, and especially the mystery, starts.

The ending is fantastic if a little far-fetched. But that is why I love most of Mary Kay's books. The only thing lacking in this novel is the author's normal wackiness and sense of humor.

It's not to say I didn't like the change of pace, it just wasn't what I'm accustomed to...sometimes it's good to step out of your comfort zone, but not always, and this wasn't the time for me.

*ARC supplied by the publisher St. Martin's Press/Macmillan, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "Pack your bag for a summer read filled with mystery, romance, intrigue, travel, cozy pubs, and hot men with accents.

Maeve and Therese Dunigan are sisters--but the two have been estranged for years. They could not be more opposite: Maeve is the rule-follower and Therese is the rebel. But when their mother's death brings the family back together, the two find that they have inherited a painting--one that could be worth millions and could save each of them from the wolves at their door. The only issue is whether it’s real or a fake --and the only way they can prove that theirs is the real McCoy is to solve the mystery of how this portrait of an Anglo-Irish aristocrat made its way to their childhood home in Savannah, GA. This means a road trip--to Ireland, to their family roots, and to a mysterious crime that occurred generations ago. With tensions simmering, the two hit the road and find themselves on twisty lanes, in colorful villages, at local pubs, and with handsome men whose gift of the gab is surpassed only by their charm. Can Maeve and Therese actually survive the journey without killing each other? Join Mary Kay Andrews on a road trip that will entertain you for miles."

Review: The Moonshine Women

The Moonshine Women by Michelle Collins Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is one book that I can give you my feelings on in two words --- Fascinatingly Depressing.

This family had so many tragedies that I just couldn't keep count. However, this was a very accurate look into moonshining, the mob, and living in the Ozarks. The author did a fantastic job of researching that era.

Did you know that a national sport came into being just because of booleggers and the G-men? Yep, NASCAR racing---look it up!

This may be a good book for book clubs, though I'm thinking that all the mishaps that befall this family may be too much for some readers.

I enjoyed this read very much, even though I was sad for most of it!

*ARC supplied by the publisher, John Scognamiglio Book/Kensington, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "In the Prohibition era Missouri Ozarks, three sisters take over their father’s moonshine business in an evocative story of reinvention, sisterhood, and the alchemy of love for readers of Jeannette Walls, Fannie Flagg, Sue Monk Kidd, and Donna Everhart.

Every batch of Strong moonshine has its own special flavor, thanks to the secret ingredients that matriarch Lidy Strong adds to the barrels of fermenting corn mash. Whether a bucketful of golden peaches, a ripe melon or juicy, jewel-toned berries, that extra “something something” is what makes the Strong “shine” so prized—and allows the family to survive after crop prices plummeted in the wake of the Great War.

Each of the Strong sisters, too, is distinct. Stoic, steadfast Rebecca would rather be with her beloved farm animals or off hunting in the woods than socializing. Middle sister Elsie is kindhearted, beautiful—and itching for a life more thrilling than the farm can offer. Jace, the youngest, is known far and wide as “Shine,” a name that suits her fiery personality and flaming red hair as much as her innate skill with a still.

Their father, Hiram, has been drowning himself in grief and liquor ever since his wife died. But the moonshine business is unforgiving, especially with Prohibition agents turning up in every creek and holler. When tragedy strikes, it falls to the Strong women to keep the still running, the family together, and hope burning on the horizon.

From the Ozark mountains edged in oak and pine, to the outlaw paradise of Hot Springs, Arkansas—where gangsters like Al Capone line the bar at the Southern Club—the sisters’ quests for vengeance, healing, and love will drive them forward, in search of a future as transformative and powerful as the purest Strong moonshine."

Review: The Barn Identity

The Barn Identity by Diane Kelly
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This may be a wonderful book for those who have been following this series. However, for me, it was just one lecture after another (slavery, vegetarianism), and though it may have picked up later, I didn't want to waste my precious reading time to find out.

I am not saying this was a horrible book; I AM saying it just wasn't my cup of tea. Please read the other reviews for differing opinions.

*ARC supplied by the publisher Minotaur Books, the author, and NetGalley.

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SUMMARY: "The eighth in the House-Flipper mystery series set in Nashville, TN, where the real estate market is to die for.

In Nashville, carpenter Whitney Whitaker is ecstatic when she discovers an abandoned barn perfect for her next project. However, since the surrounding former farmland has now developed into a shiny new shopping center, it seems the decrepit antebellum barn that once served as a livery stable should be torn down to make way for something more modern. Even so, Whitney can’t help but think the barn should be preserved. While unproven, it’s rumored the building once served as a hiding place for escaped slaves as part of the Underground Railroad. She convinces her cousin to take a chance on the old property. After all, the barn would make a unique retail space or, with its high ceilings and wide walls, could be turned into an arthouse cinema.

When a local print journalist reporting on the renovation is found dead on the property, investigators suspect he might have been murdered for any one of several exposés he’d published about local politicians, movers, and shakers. Whitney suspects there’s more to the story, and that the journalist’s fate might be tied directly to the stable renovation. Can she solve the murder and bring a killer to justice? Or might this goal be too lofty?"