By Kim Michele Richardson
Dec. 1 with Paula on Zoom The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek recounts the efforts of Cussy May Carter as she travels among the hardscrabble folks of Appalachia, bringing the gift of books as a part of Roosevelt’s Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project. As if that were not story enough in itself, it also happens that Cussy is one of the “blue people,” afflicted with a genetic disorder that affects the oxygen in her blood, rendering her skin a distinctive color.
Unfortunately, the hill people of Kentucky are inclined to blame a Blue for any whiff of trouble.
The novel is based on extensive historical research on both the Pack Horse Library Library Project and the blue-skinned people of Kentucky.
Paula asked that I post this so everyone can dig into the research:
First Tuesday Book Group, Dec. 2020
Paula Ashford, expert
Kim Michele Richardson is an American writer. Her 2019 novel The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek The New York Times Best Seller list , as well as the best seller lists of the Los Angeles Times and USA Today . Book Woman also won several national honors, including Forbes Best Historical Novel. She is a regular contributor to various publications, such as Huffington Post New York Journal of Books .
Richardson was born in Kentucky ,[1] Saint Thomas-Saint Vincent Orphan Asylum . In 2004, she and her sisters, along with 40 other plaintiffs who had lived in the institution run by the Sisters of Charity order and the Roman Catholic Church sued for damages suffered through alleged years of abuse by their caretakers between the 1930s to the 1970s.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The Unbreakable Child .[7] Wikipedia
Books by Richardson
The Unbreakable Child, 2012 (autobiography)
Liar’s Bench, 2015
GodPretty in the Tobacco Field, 2016
Sisters of Glass Ferry, 2017
More author info
https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY
Interviews
https://readinggroupchoices.com/kim-michele-richardson-interview/
https://blog.basbleu.com/2020/02/26/the-book-woman-of-troublesome-creek-an-interview-with-kim-michele-richardson/
https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY
Reviews
“Miss Richardson’s writing is superb. Her landscape descriptions, the attitudes of both the mountain folk and those who avoid them are on the mark. She is extremely accurate in her descriptions of racism and prejudice depicted in the mountain communities and large and small towns and cities in the country. There are moments when you will shed a tear. You will feel the pride of accomplishment as the children feast on the written word. You will feel the embarrassment of being an outcast, and rejoice in the human compassion expressed through various characters. These events will leave the characters, the events and the feelings with you long after you have finished the book. I have relations that come from Troublesome Creek. I have discovered that I, too, have the “blue streak” in my blood. I was delighted with the whole work and sad when I came to the last page. This is a wonderful story and well worth your time.” FIVE Stars.—Douglas J. Fugate 1SG, USA Retired
https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/kim-michele-richardson.html
This site has a wonderful “scrapbook” including recipes
https://cdn-sourcebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/downloads/readinggroups/BookWoman-Scrapbook-UpdateFeb20.pdf
Ms. Richarson’s blog post-Nov. 20, 2020
I’m thrilled to announce that I'm working on a forthcoming novel (untitled) for my publisher. It is both “a sequel and a standalone companion” to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, set in my home state of Kentucky 12 years after that novel ends.
The new title explores the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood, strength, and courage, and is once again a unique tale about remarkable women rooted in my rich Kentucky history. And, yes, ol Junia will be there.
Thank you, dear readers, cherished librarians & indie bookstores for the privilege of sharing another journey with you.
YouTube
Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pytN4Lrsees
Conversation with the author https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSWaJzp-p2c
Pack Horse Librarians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6WTdXYHF6o
Blue People of Kentucky
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819
methemoglobinemia
https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000562.htm
Pack Horse Librarians
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/horse-riding-librarians-were-great-depression-bookmobiles-180963786/
Other Books about the Pack Horse Librarians (the first two are for elementary school children and the other is for adults.)
https://www.kimmichelerichardson.com Kim Michele Richardson is an American writer. Her 2019 novel The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek was on The New York Times Best Seller list, as well as the best seller lists of the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. Book Woman also won several national honors, including Forbes Best Historical Novel. She is a regular contributor to various publications, such as Huffington Post and New York Journal of Books. Richardson was born in Kentucky,[1] and grew up in an orphanage, the Saint Thomas-Saint Vincent Orphan Asylum. In 2004, she and her sisters, along with 40 other plaintiffs who had lived in the institution run by the Sisters of Charity order and the Roman Catholic Church sued for damages suffered through alleged years of abuse by their caretakers between the 1930s to the 1970s.[2] According to the suit, the children were sexually, physically, and emotionally abused by a priest, 15 nuns, and some others.[3][4] The suit was settled for $1.5 million in 2006, each victim received $17,000, marking the first time that victims received payment of damages from a Catholic orphanage as compensation for childhood sexual abuse.[5][6] Richardson recounted her experiences at the orphanage during the 1960s in her bestselling memoir, The Unbreakable Child.[7] Wikipedia Books by Richardson The Unbreakable Child, 2012 (autobiography) Liar’s Bench, 2015 GodPretty in the Tobacco Field, 2016 Sisters of Glass Ferry, 2017 More author info https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY Interviews https://readinggroupchoices.com/kim-michele-richardson-interview/ https://blog.basbleu.com/2020/02/26/the-book-woman-of-troublesome-creek-an-interview-with-kim-michele-richardson/ https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY Reviews “Miss Richardson’s writing is superb. Her landscape descriptions, the attitudes of both the mountain folk and those who avoid them are on the mark. She is extremely accurate in her descriptions of racism and prejudice depicted in the mountain communities and large and small towns and cities in the country. There are moments when you will shed a tear. You will feel the pride of accomplishment as the children feast on the written word. You will feel the embarrassment of being an outcast, and rejoice in the human compassion expressed through various characters. These events will leave the characters, the events and the feelings with you long after you have finished the book. I have relations that come from Troublesome Creek. I have discovered that I, too, have the “blue streak” in my blood. I was delighted with the whole work and sad when I came to the last page. This is a wonderful story and well worth your time.” FIVE Stars.—Douglas J. Fugate 1SG, USA Retired https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/interview-author-kim-michelle-richardson?fbclid=IwAR1o6TrsFgyx7Y-fl8IMfFL8NGwQV5Ci2K7WhWMogzBLMS17Uo6wdfQ0dvY https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/authorpage/kim-michele-richardson.html This site has a wonderful “scrapbook” including recipes https://cdn-sourcebooks.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/downloads/readinggroups/BookWoman-Scrapbook-UpdateFeb20.pdf Ms. Richarson’s blog post-Nov. 20, 2020 I’m thrilled to announce that I'm working on a forthcoming novel (untitled) for my publisher. It is both “a sequel and a standalone companion” to The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, set in my home state of Kentucky 12 years after that novel ends. The new title explores the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood, strength, and courage, and is once again a unique tale about remarkable women rooted in my rich Kentucky history. And, yes, ol Junia will be there. Thank you, dear readers, cherished librarians & indie bookstores for the privilege of sharing another journey with you. YouTube Book Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pytN4Lrsees Conversation with the author https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSWaJzp-p2c Pack Horse Librarians https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6WTdXYHF6o Blue People of Kentucky https://abcnews.go.com/Health/blue-skinned-people-kentucky-reveal-todays-genetic-lesson/story?id=15759819 methemoglobinemia https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000562.htm Pack Horse Librarians https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/horse-riding-librarians-were-great-depression-bookmobiles-180963786/ Other Books about the Pack Horse Librarians (the first two are for elementary school children and the other is for adults.)
Nebraska Golden Sower nominee in 2011